The Latin American Report # 696

Venezuela

While the opaque process of releasing political prisoners, which has accelerated somewhat since last weekend, continues, yesterday Friday acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced another significant move related to the issue, consisting of a general amnesty bill welcomed by the opposition bloc in the Chavista-majority National Assembly, which advocates for it to mark the end of "repression." More radical opposition actors demand that the legislative text cover the return of their exiled leaders and the annulment of political disqualifications.

"May it be a law that serves to repair the wounds left by political confrontation, stemming from violence, from extremism, that serves to redirect justice in our country and that serves to redirect coexistence among Venezuelans," said Rodríguez during the act inaugurating the new judicial year at the Supreme Court of Justice headquarters. According to what has emerged, the proposal would cover the entire period of Chavismo in power, and excludes those convicted of homicide, human rights violations, and drug trafficking. Thus, there would be broad coverage to cement in law the current release process—it is said that different penitentiaries still house 770 allegedly political prisoners—and offer greater judicial guarantees, of full freedom, to the beneficiaries; there is an interesting legal debate that touches on other aspects.

I intuit that there is a power struggle here that directly touches Diosdado Cabello. As part of this move, the closure of El Helicoide, a controversial facility run by the national intelligence service, has also been conceived. According to many independent (and sometimes, surely, biased) accounts, for years, it was the scene of torture against opponents. U.S. President Donald Trump spoke on January 6th about its potential closure, now confirmed by the Venezuelan interim authorities themselves. As happened with the reform of the hydrocarbon law, a fast approval process is expected for this amnesty bill on the part of the legislative branch.

Opposition leader María Corina Machado, absent from Washington's immediate plans for the country, continues trying to tarnish Rodríguez's image, presenting her as a piece controlled by the White House that, as a representative of Chavismo, does not generate trust or promise stability. "Delcy Rodríguez is incapable of generating any type of military, security, or any other policy that would allow a transition," she said at an event held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. However, and much to her chagrin, on Pennsylvania Avenue, the Republican administration seems very confident and secure with Delcy Rodríguez's leadership, although the latter sometimes, intelligently, tries to keep some sovereigntist rhetoric standing that, until January 3rd, was carried out in practice. Laura Dogu, the Foggy Bottom-picked official in charge of relaunching and directing the US diplomatic mission in Venezuela, will arrive today, Saturday, at Maiquetía airport, which serves the capital Caracas.

Honduras

Beyond the shameful electoral process the country endured, the truth is that Nasry Asfura is now officially installed as the new Honduran president. In this sense, this EFE wire report provides very interesting signals in his political-communicational approach, very focused on rejecting the cult of personality and other cheap and classic government propaganda practices. As always, everything can be an intentional, well-calibrated and thought-out strategy that hides an essence and an interest not so altruistic or associated with a modest character, but the practical attitude he is adopting nonetheless reflects the correct way—in my judgment—of doing certain things in politics.

Via X

On Mexico 👇. CC @valued-customer

After Mexico bans vapes, cartels tighten their grip on a booming market
Organized crime in Mexico is tightening its grip on the vape market, a $1.5 billion industryhttps://t.co/JgviSmo0G7

— Marcy (@Marcy_2022) January 31, 2026

Milei's obsequiousness 👇

Breaking News: The U.S. and Argentina are said to be in advanced talks to allow the U.S. to deport immigrants from other countries there.https://t.co/avg7Sz4EFy

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 30, 2026

Fighting back 👇

Protesters close schools and stores during a nationwide strike against Trump's immigration policies | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/yDd6kZjwvW

— MyNBC5 (@MyNBC5) January 31, 2026

This is all for today’s report.