More than 50 people granted "alternative" detention measures in Venezuela

The Venezuelan government said on Monday that 51 people have been granted "alternative" detention measures to prison after it requested the change as part of efforts to promote peace in the country, where the opposition and human rights groups have said for years the government uses detentions to stamp out dissent.



The government did not name the people or say what cases they were connected to, but lawyers and relatives of dozens of people detained in cases of alleged corruption at state oil company PDVSA, many of whose families say they are innocent, said on Thursday that some of their clients had been released.

The group representing those detainees postponed a press conference on Monday, saying many still have pending legal processes.



The government said in its statement it had requested "the granting of alternative measures to deprivation of liberty for a group of individuals who were being held in detention, for their alleged or proven involvement in the commission of crimes provided for under the Venezuelan legal framework" and that the

petition had been successful and was granted last week.