An image of the political prison 'El Helicoide' in Venezuela on the 1st (local time) [Reuters=Yonhap News]

A prominent human rights activist who had been active against the Nicolás Maduro government in Venezuela has been released from prison after more than four years, the local human rights group Foro Penal announced on the 1st (local time).

Javier Tarazona (second from left) meeting his family at Candelaria Church on the 1st (local time) [AFP=Yonhap News]

According to El Nacional, an anti-Maduro Venezuelan media outlet, Tarazona is considered a symbolic figure representing the human rights situation in the country.

He was reportedly arrested by the prosecution for unclear reasons while primarily denouncing the illegal activities of pro-government irregular armed groups in border regions.

Subsequently, charges were filed against him for organized crime and terrorism, and the trial was repeatedly postponed.

Tarazona's lawyers have protested this as "pre-conviction punishment," El Nacional reported.

The human rights organization Foro Penal also posted photos on social media showing the release of other political prisoners.

Delcy Rodríguez (56), the interim president responsible for Venezuela's state affairs after U.S. authorities apprehended President Maduro and his wife and took them from Caracas to New York in a surprise raid, is publicly discussing a plan for a large-scale pardon of detainees, including opposition figures.

In the past, during the presidencies of Hugo Chávez (1954-2013) and Maduro, Venezuela has punished those who strongly opposed government policies by charging them with crimes such as 'destabilizing society' or 'creating public fear.'

The Associated Press has attached significance to Tarazona's release, noting it occurred shortly after the arrival of Laura Dogu (62), the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires.

Dogu, who previously served as ambassador to Nicaragua and Honduras, is the first U.S. diplomat to work in Caracas in seven years.

Earlier, the U.S. withdrew all diplomatic personnel in 2019 amid deteriorating bilateral relations during the first administration of Donald Trump. In January of that year, President Trump refused to recognize President Maduro's re-election and supported the interim presidential declaration by then-National Assembly Speaker Juan Guaidó (42).

Regarding the appointment of the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires, Yván Gil, Venezuela's Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated on his Telegram channel that it is "to establish a practical roadmap for matters of mutual interest between the two countries and to resolve existing differences through diplomatic dialogue based on mutual respect and the principles of international law."