Five women lay on mattresses outside the Zona 7 prison in Caracas, their bodies weakened after 100 hours without food. Narwin Gil, one of the strikers, said her resolve holds despite the toll. Her brother-in-law, Jose Gregorio Farfan, remains among 60 inmates at the facility.

“The strike will last as long as my body can take it,” Gil told reporters. She described near-fainting spells, rapid heartbeat and chills, but support from fellow protesters helped her stabilize. Doctor Rafael Arreaza, volunteering medical aid, pulled one woman from the strike after a severe hypertensive crisis.

Arreaza pushed to end the protest in exchange for prison access to check detainees’ health. Families report widespread torture, mistreatment and ignored medical needs among the hundreds—or possibly thousands—jailed in recent years over alleged plots against the former Maduro regime.

The hunger strike highlights demands for release since Nicolas Maduro’s ouster on January 3, 2026. An interim government under Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s former vice president, pledged five days later to free all political prisoners amid U.S. pressure. Yet Rodriguez and her allies, remnants of Maduro’s circle installed after U.S. President Donald Trump’s involvement, face skepticism over their commitment.

Parliament has postponed sessions meant to pass the amnesty bill. Lawmakers failed last week to settle on language for prisoner releases. Critics call the draft vague, potentially allowing pardons for government allies while blocking true prisoners of conscience.

Among detainees are PDVSA oil workers arrested as early as 2024 on smuggling and trafficking charges. Families rallied Wednesday, chanting “They’re not terrorists, they’re professionals!” Lawyer Zimaru Fuentes said authorities denied them legal defense. The amnesty aims to apply retroactively to 1999, offering hope for their freedom.

Separately, the prosecutor’s office announced the release of 86-year-old oil expert Evanan Romero after four days in detention. Romero, a dual U.S.-Venezuelan citizen who consulted for international firms and advised opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, faced fraud and criminal association accusations since his February 13 arrest.