Forty -eight Venezuelans, held by the government of their country, have so far been released on the basis of the USA exchange agreement with the US, said the Foro Penal organization, which is competing for citizens’ legal rights.

Last week, the US announced that a total of 80 dissidents will be released from Venezuelan prisons. In the context of the deal, more than 200 Venezuelans deported by the US and held in a highest security prison of El Salvador have already returned to Caracas.

According to Foro Penal, a total of 57 people, who are ranked in the category of “political prisoners”, were released. Of these, 48 were Venezuelans and nine US or US permanent residents. The tenth American who was released on the exchange is not included in the list of political prisoners.

In her post on Platform X, the organization regretted that there is no “official list” to verify its information more accurately. Some of the “lists” in circulation include people who were not political prisoners, others who had already been released, and even prisoners who have died. “In Foro Penal, we coordinate with families to verify other cases.”

The Venezuelan Ministry of Intelligence did not respond when he was asked to comment on which other detainees are going to be released and whether some of them would be put on home restriction or whether other, “alternative” restrictive measures were taken.

The opposition coalition welcomed prisoners’ release, but noting that nearly 1,000 people remain imprisoned for political reasons and only 12 others were arrested in recent days.

The Venezuelans held in El Salvador were sent there from the US in March, after US President Donald Trump cited a 1798 law on “foreign enemies” to deport them, describing them as members of the gang. These deportations triggered a judicial battle with the Trump government, while families and lawyers of many departed disabled that they had anything to do with gangs.

Former prisoners arrived in Caracas on Friday and some reunited with their families, but have not yet returned to their homes. The government says they will previously undergo medical examinations and testify for their detention conditions in El Salvador.