About 50 to 80 prisoners are believed to be held at the notorious El Helicoide prison, which US President Donald Trump announced would be closed following Maduro’s capture.
The prison gained international notoriety for detaining alleged political opponents, with reports by human rights groups of torture including beatings and electrocution.
The announcement also comes shortly after US President Donald Trump stated that he had “given orders to close that prison,” which had become one of the most notorious symbols of political repression in the country.
Venezuelan human rights group Provea warned El Helicoide’s anticipated closure should not deflect attention from the other detention sites still running across the country.
Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, who has several close allies in prison, has repeatedly demanded releases.
In a sit-down interview with the Fox News show Hannity, Trump said Machado was expected to come to the US “next week sometime”.
Machado told host Sean Hannity earlier in the week that she wanted to give the US president her Nobel Peace Prize. When asked by Hannity whether Trump would accept the offer, he said “that would be a great honour”.
Venezuela’s opposition and human rights groups have said for years the government used detentions to stamp out dissent and silence critics.
Since the widely disputed 2024 election, the opposition claimed legal proceedings against activists, journalists and political adversaries increased.
Attorney General Tarek Saab and others in the government repeatedly denied Venezuela held political prisoners, arguing those detained were arrested for genuine crimes.
Additional reporting by Norberto Paredes.