About three dozen jailed Venezuelan military personnel passed 72 hours on hunger strike on Thursday 12 November 2026 at the Ramo Verde military prison near Caracas. They demand release under the country’s amnesty law, and we found no official reply to the strikers.
The strike began at 6 a.m. on Monday 9 November with about two dozen National Guard sergeants, Infobae, a Latin American news site, reported. It grew to 36 prisoners by the count of Clippve, a Venezuelan committee for the freedom of political prisoners, and relatives say they are denied drinking water, Semana, a Colombian news magazine, reported.
—Power Index Venezuela ranks 12th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 29.4 points (November 2026 edition).
—Who. 36 jailed military personnel held at Ramo Verde, a military prison near Caracas.
—What. A hunger strike since Monday 9 November demands release under the amnesty law.
—Conditions. Relatives say strikers lack drinking water and medical care; no official reply has been found.
—Talks. Strikers want a seat in the negotiations between the government and the opposition.
The protest tests Venezuela’s February amnesty law. The government says it has helped about 9,000 people, but these prisoners remain jailed.
What Happened
The first strikers are sergeants of the National Guard, a branch of Venezuela’s armed forces, accused over the Cotiza case, an uprising against then-president Nicolás Maduro on 21 January 2019 at a command post in northern Caracas, Infobae reported. Their lawyers told a court the protest is a desperate response to what they call a systematic denial of justice.
Other prisoners accused of rebellion and treason in separate alleged plots against Maduro then joined, bringing the total to 36. By Thursday they had gone 72 hours without food, according to Noticias RCN, a Colombian television news outlet, which cited AFP, the French news agency.
Strikers climbed a fence at the prison to shout “Freedom!” and “We are not afraid, no more torture”, Semana reported. Relatives and lawyers gathered outside and denounced violations of due process.
A road tunnel and hillside homes in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital. The Ramo Verde prison is in Miranda state, outside the city. Photo: Wilfredor, CC0, via Wikimedia CommonsWhat the Strikers and Families Say
Sandra Hernández, wife of Sergeant Luis Bandres, told AFP that the strikers were kept away from the tower with the toilets and were drinking water used to irrigate plants. Milagros Astudillos, whose husband is also a sergeant, called the lack of water and medical care a way to pressure them to end the strike.
In a written statement, the strikers say they were tortured, held without due process and excluded from the negotiating table between the government and the opposition, Infobae reported on 11 November. Their lawyer, Miguel Ángel Forero Terán, told the court, according to Infobae’s 10 November report, that they have spent seven years and eight months in pretrial detention, nearly triple the legal maximum.
He argues the amnesty law applies because the judge dropped the terrorism and organised-crime charges and only treason remains. No civilians are involved in the case, he adds, because they were pardoned or the case against them was dropped.
The Government’s Position
We found no official statement addressed to the strikers. On Wednesday 11 November, Pedro Infante, first vice president of the National Assembly, Venezuela’s parliament, said lawmakers would review cases “to achieve releases adjusted to full law”, without referring specifically to political prisoners, Infobae reported.
Jorge Arreaza, a member of the government’s negotiating team, said that asking for measures in a new political moment is one thing, and “victimising those who attacked the Republic, stole weapons, came in with mercenaries and flew drones with explosives” is another. Infobae did not say he was answering the hunger strike.
Why It Matters
The strike tests the amnesty law that the National Assembly passed unanimously and interim president Delcy Rodríguez signed in February 2026. Military prisoners were 140 of the 322 political prisoners that Foro Penal, a Venezuelan human rights legal group, counted on 5 October, more than four in ten, and its latest tally is 321.
CNN en Español, the Spanish-language service of the US network, reported in February that the law excludes people who took part in armed or force actions, and the Cotiza case involved weapons taken from a military post, according to Noticias RCN. Whether the law reaches these prisoners is the central legal question.
Rodríguez governs under pressure from Washington, Semana reported, after US forces captured Maduro in January 2026. Noticias RCN reports that Maduro is jailed in the United States.
A fourth round of talks between the government and the opposition opened this week. Opposition negotiator Dinorah Figuera says she expects new releases soon, Infobae reported.
Earlier we covered Foro Penal’s October count of 322 political prisoners and opposition leader María Corina Machado’s readiness to meet Rodríguez. More is in our Venezuela coverage.
What Is Not Known
We found no ruling or official statement on whether the amnesty law covers these prisoners. Relatives said on 11 November that the strikers had not been medically evaluated, and no independent assessment has been reported.
The number of strikers varies by report, from 20 or 24 at the start to 33 and then 36 later in the week. This article uses Clippve’s figure of 36.
What to Watch Next
Watch for an official response to the strikers and for any release announcements from the fourth round of talks. On 10 November Clippve said authorities should not wait for the strikers’ health to deteriorate before answering, Infobae reported.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Venezuelan soldiers on hunger strike?
They are jailed military personnel who demand release under Venezuela’s amnesty law and a seat in the talks between the government and the opposition. They also allege torture and denial of due process.
How many military prisoners are on hunger strike?
Clippve counts 36 prisoners at the Ramo Verde prison, and Semana says the group includes two women. The strike started with about two dozen on Monday 9 November.
Has the Venezuelan government responded?
We found no official reply to the strikers. A National Assembly vice president said on 11 November that lawmakers would review cases, without referring specifically to political prisoners.
Sources: Semana (citing AFP), 12 November 2026; Noticias RCN (citing AFP), 12 November 2026; Infobae, 10 November 2026; Infobae, 11 November 2026; Infobae, 12 November 2026; Foro Penal, count as of 5 October, published 9 October 2026; National Assembly of Venezuela, amnesty law, February 2026; CNN en Español, 19 February 2026.