Rafael Tudares, son-in-law of Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González, has been freed after spending 380 days in jail, his wife Mariana González confirmed. Tudares was detained during a crackdown on critics of President Nicolás Maduro's government. His release comes after a US military raid captured Maduro and took him to New York for drug trafficking charges. Since then, over 150 detainees have been freed. However, NGO Foro Penal reports that 777 political prisoners still remain behind bars. Venezuela faces ongoing political tensions with Maduro’s former vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, now serving as acting president. The US, under President Donald Trump, supports Rodríguez and praises her for agreeing to supply up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil to the US. The Trump administration had pushed for the release of political prisoners as part of peace gestures. Five days after the US raid, Venezuela’s National Assembly promised to free many detainees. But rights groups say the number freed is far less than the 400 claimed and that many still face charges and restrictions, including bans on speaking publicly. Tudares's jailing was part of the repression after Venezuela's 2024 election. His father-in-law González was the main opposition candidate, challenging Maduro after opposition leader María Corina Machado was blocked from running. Despite evidence that González won by a large margin, Maduro claimed victory and was sworn in for another term in January 2025. Before the inauguration, many opposition figures were arrested. Tudares was taken three days before the ceremony, while taking his children to visit their sick grandmother. For months, his family did not know where he was held or on what charges. Last month, Mariana González learned he was sentenced to 30 years for “terrorism and conspiracy”, without proper legal counsel. Middlemen told her Tudares would be freed only if González abandoned his opposition work, which she rejected. On social media, she thanked supporters but said many families still wait for their loved ones to be freed, holding vigils outside prisons in hope. "Being the son-in-law of Edmundo González is not a crime," she declared.