{
  "id": 17894680,
  "title": "Rubio meets new Venezuelan FM, urges release of political prisoners",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/rubio-meets-new-venezuelan-fm-urges-release-of-political-prisoners-17894680",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-03T01:44:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/world/americas/rubio-meets-new-venezuelan-fm-urges-release-of-political-prisoners-1.500733460"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Venezuela's newly appointed Foreign Minister Oliver Blanco, urging the release of political prisoners held under former leader Nicolas Maduro. This marked Blanco's first visit to the United States after being named to his position last week by interim President Delcy Rodriguez, who has overseen Venezuela under American supervision since American forces removed Maduro in January.\n\nRubio reaffirmed President Rodriguez's three-phase plan for Venezuela: stabilization, economic recovery, and political reconciliation and democratic transition. During the meeting, the diplomats posed together with the press before discussing progress in the Venezuelan-led reconciliation talks, including institutional reforms paving the way for free, fair, and credible elections.\n\nRubio specifically called for the continued release of the remaining political prisoners in Venezuela. Maduro, who has ruled since 2013 with an increasingly authoritarian approach, was widely accused of arresting political opponents and activists, often on fabricated charges of coup plotting. The US has consistently pressed for the release of political prisoners since Rodriguez took office, with a landmark amnesty law leading to the release of many, but hundreds still remain incarcerated. The latest count from the NGO Foro Penal, which defends political prisoners, stated there were 344 such prisoners in Venezuela as of September 18.\n\nFollowing the meeting, Blanco also spoke with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, addressing developments in Venezuela and potential ways to advance the Trump Administration's three-phase approach of stabilization, recovery, and transition.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Rubio meets new Venezuelan FM, urges release of political prisoners",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/rubio-meets-new-venezuelan-fm-urges-release-of-political-prisoners",
        "published": "2026-11-03T00:44:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Le Monde English",
        "title": "Rubio meets with Venezuela's Foreign Minister, urges release of more political prisoners",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/rubio-meets-with-venezuelas-foreign-minister-urges-release-of-more",
        "published": "2026-11-03T01:45:15.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}