The Venezuelan government has begun releasing prisoners, including at least one U.S. citizen.

For the families involved, it is a moment of relief. For diplomats watching closely, it is a signal, cautious, incomplete, and shaped more by pressure than by principle.

According to Bloomberg report, the release, confirmed by people familiar with the case, marks the first known freeing of a U.S. citizen since authorities in Caracas began a new round of prisoner releases earlier this month.

The individual has already left the country. Others may follow. Yet the broader picture is far less clear than the headline suggests.

Officials in Caracas say the releases are part of a deliberate effort to stabilize the country after last week’s stunning political rupture; the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.

The interim government, led by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, claims that 116 detainees have been freed since January 9. Human-rights groups dispute that number. Independent organizations have verified far fewer cases, while also reporting new arrests taking place alongside the releases.

The release of U.S. citizens, in particular, carries diplomatic weight. Foro Penal, a leading Venezuelan rights group, says at least two U.S. citizens remain detained, including one American and one Cuban-American.

Washington has responded with restraint. The U.S. State Department has declined to comment publicly, reflecting both the sensitivity of ongoing negotiations and uncertainty about Caracas’s intentions. Privately, officials view the releases as a response to sustained pressure rather than a spontaneous change of heart.

The releases began shortly after Maduro’s removal, at a moment when the government’s legitimacy is fragile and its room for maneuver constrained.

Among those freed are several high-profile political detainees, including close aides to opposition leader María Corina Machado.