Venezuelan authorities released 13 political prisoners in the early hours of 24 August, freeing eight detainees outright and placing another five under house arrest. Among those excarcerated are former opposition lawmaker Américo De Grazia, activist Pedro Guanipa, and former Maracaibo mayor Rafael Ramírez. Two of the beneficiaries, De Grazia and Margarita Assenza, also hold Italian citizenship; Rome said both must appear before a Caracas court and are barred from leaving the capital. The move coincides with a sharper U.S. stance toward President Nicolás Maduro. President Donald Trump recently dispatched three Navy vessels carrying about 4,000 sailors and Marines to the southern Caribbean, refused new operating licenses for several European oil producers, and doubled the State Department reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture to US$50 million. Human-rights group Foro Penal said 816 people remain jailed for political reasons, including 82 at the El Helicoide detention center. Amnesty International and Venezuelan NGOs welcomed the latest releases but urged Caracas to free all remaining detainees and called for comprehensive amnesty legislation.