promise to release a significant number of political prisoners. Ramón Guanipa, the son of Juan Pablo Guanipa, said he believed the US president was unaware that only about 40 releases out of more than 800 political prisoners had reportedly been confirmed so far.

On Saturday, Trump thanked the Venezuelan authorities, saying they had "started the process, in a BIG WAY". The Venezuelan government announced on Thursday it would release detainees considered political prisoners by human rights groups as a "goodwill gesture".

The move came after the US seized Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro in a raid on the capital, Caracas, on 3 January, and took him to New York, where he has been charged with drug trafficking. Jorge Rodríguez, Venezuela's National Assembly leader and the brother of Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, announced that an "important number of Venezuelan and foreign detainees" would be released "immediately".

On Monday, the government said more than 100 such prisoners had already been released - a number far greater than the figure so far confirmed by human rights campaigners. Among those who are confirmed to have been released are several high-profile opposition figures - with Spain's foreign ministry confirming that five Spanish citizens had been freed, including human rights lawyer Rocío San Miguel. Trump claimed credit for the releases, writing on social media on Saturday: "I hope these prisoners will remember how lucky they got that the USA came along and did what had to be done." But relatives of those still behind bars have been expressing their frustration that only a small number of prisoners have been freed. (BBC)