Venezuela proposes to free hundreds of prisoners, turn ‘torture’ prison into sports hub

Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez ‌on Friday announced a proposed “amnesty law” for hundreds of prisoners in the country, and said the infamous Helicoide detention centre in the capital Caracas, which rights groups have long denounced as the site of prisoner abuse, would be converted into a centre for sport and social services.“May it be a law that serves to heal the wounds left by political confrontation, violence and extremism. May it serve to restore justice in our country and restore peaceful coexistence among Venezuelans,” Rodriguez said at an event at the Supreme Court of Justice.The proposed law could affect hundreds of detainees who remain behind bars in the South American country, as well as former prisoners who have already been conditionally released.The new law will cover cases running from 1999 until today, but will exclude those who may have taken part in killings, serious abuses of human rights and drug trafficking, Rodriguez said.Helicoide prison looms over Caracas on January 8. Photo: AFPRodriguez ‍said that the Helicoide prison, a long-standing symbol of alleged government repression, would be converted into a centre for sports and social ‍services.