Fifth day of hunger strike for freedom of Venezuelan political prisonersCARACAS, Feb 19, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Relatives of Venezuelan political prisoners staged a fifth day of hunger strike Wednesday on the eve of a parliament sitting they hope will result in passage of a long-awaited amnesty law. Five days after Maduro's toppling on January 3, an interim government led by Delcy Rodriguez -- formerly his vice president -- vowed under pressure from Washington to free all political prisoners. A week ago, lawmakers were unable to agree on the wording of an article in the bill on freeing political prisoners. Arreaza said he was trying to negotiate an end to the hunger strike in exchange for being allowed into the prison to assess the health of those still detained. Meanwhile, a prominent Venezuelan oil expert with dual US nationality, has been released after spending four days in detention, the prosecutor's office said Wednesday.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha February 19, 2026 03:57 UTC