VENEZUELA: Families Demand Detainee Releases & more – 12th Feb 2026

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Venezuela Update from the 12th of February twenty twenty-six. A quick summary of what's going down in Venezuela.

Let’s start with an oil shipment that shows how fast routes are reopening. On Thursday the 5th, two million barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude were on the way to the major Spanish oil company Repsol, based on shipping schedules. The report said the cargoes followed purchases Repsol negotiated with Trafigura, one of the world’s largest commodity trading firms that buys and ships oil globally.

Meanwhile, old oil disputes are resurfacing. On Thursday the 5th, the CEO of the major U.S. oil producer ConocoPhillips said the company’s priority regarding Venezuela remains recovering money owed under existing legal judgments. This is about long-running claims tied to past expropriations and unpaid settlements.

Switching to travel. On Monday the 9th, Spanish airline Air Europa will resume limited flights to Venezuela in February. After years of reduced routes and uncertainty, any restart draws attention from families, business travelers, and the diaspora trying to move with fewer detours. Limited flights usually mean gradual schedules, fewer seats, and capacity caps, so tickets can stay expensive at first.

Now to a street scene that puts pressure on promises. On Saturday the 7th, the Associated Press reported relatives and supporters of political detainees protested outside El Helicoide, a major detention site in Caracas run by Venezuela’s intelligence services, demanding releases. The report described families praying and singing the national anthem, and it noted criticism of the pace of promised releases under the interim administration.

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez has said El Helicoide would be closed and converted into a community center.

Now to the amnesty debate, but with a very different framing from inside the justice system. On Thursday the 12th, Reuters reported Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab, the country’s top prosecutor, said he hopes the proposed amnesty law leads to a fully pacified country. He also insisted those covered are not political prisoners, but people convicted of crimes, and said the current draft is narrower than earlier versions. The update signals how the state plans to define who qualifies and why.

Next up, on Tuesday the 10th, the U.S. Energy Information Administration expects Venezuelan output to return to pre-blockade levels of about 1.1 to 1.2 million barrels per day by mid twenty twenty-six. The report tied the projection to expanded licenses and the restart of exports after heavy disruption. Even though forecasts are not guarantees, they influence how markets and policymakers talk about what is possible.

Speaking of energy, let’s talk about the highest-level energy visit. On Wednesday the 11th, the U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, the top U.S. cabinet official on energy policy, arrived in Venezuela for meetings with Delcy Rodríguez, energy officials, and executives from firms including Chevron, a major U.S. oil company with operations in Venezuela, and Repsol.

Reuters said plans included a visit to Petropiar, a heavy oil upgrading project in Venezuela’s Orinoco Belt, the country’s main heavy crude region in eastern Venezuela. Publicly, the messaging was cautious. Wright praised the direction of the oil overhaul but said more changes may be needed to attract major investment, and no specific deal was announced.

That visit triggered reactions from other global players. On Wednesday the 11th, Russia’s foreign minister said U.S. restrictions limiting Russia’s role in Venezuela’s oil business amount to discrimination, and Russia would seek clarification.

The backdrop is that U.S. licenses can include carveouts that allow some countries and companies to participate while keeping others out. That quickly turns energy policy into geopolitics, because access to projects can mean long-term influence and long-term revenue.

Venezuela’s reopening is being watched not only by companies, but also by governments tracking who is allowed into the next phase.

Back to diplomacy, as on Thursday the 12th, Reuters reported that Delcy Rodríguez said in an NBC interview that she has been invited to visit the United States. The new outlet also noted that she said she would prioritize U.S. investors in Venezuela’s oil recovery, while still calling Nicolás Maduro the legitimate president and defending him and his wife, Cilia Flores.

The interim government is deepening engagement with the U.S., but still trying to hold on to parts of the old narrative at home.

On the domestic front, the ruling party is dealing with its own internal stress. On Sunday the 8th, Reuters reported signs of distrust and desertions inside Venezuela’s Socialist Party, including officials stepping back and supporters complaining about dwindling bonuses that used to help keep loyalty steady.

The report described a party trying to hold its base together during a fast transition, with some members worried about where power and resources would land next.

In entertainment news, on Thursday the 5th, El País covered Venezuelan artist Danny Ocean performing a sold-out show at Madrid’s Movistar Arena as part of his European tour.

Staying with music, here is a creative release with a clear Latin legacy connection. On Sunday the 8th, El Estímulo reported Venezuelan guitarist Rodrigo Zambrano, based in Brazil, released an album called Pa guarachar that reinterprets songs by Eddie Palmieri, a Grammy-winning salsa and Latin jazz legend.

The report highlighted that Zambrano pairs guitar with experimental percussion made from everyday household objects, including utensils and containers, alongside hand and foot-sounds. This project shows a bridge between generations, taking a classic repertoire and translating it into a new format that still keeps the rhythm and cultural reference points.

Back in Caracas, the culture calendar kept rolling. On Thursday the 5th, Ciudad CCS reported that the Festival de Jóvenes Directores opened at Trasnocho Cultural, a well-known arts venue in the capital, with a lineup featuring emerging theater directors and running through early February. While national politics stays loud, people still look for places that feel normal, safe, and worth leaving the house for. Events like this become part of the emotional infrastructure of a city, especially when so much public conversation is heavy.

In baseball, the Caribbean Series ended with a regional twist. On Sunday the 8th, the Associated Press (AP) reported that Charros de Jalisco won the Caribbean Series, beating Tomateros de Culiacán twelve to eleven in extra innings in an all-Mexico final. The AP noted Venezuela was originally set to host the tournament, but the event was moved to Mexico due to concerns tied to Venezuela’s political situation and player safety.

The Caribbean Series is one of the biggest winter baseball stages, and the host shift shows how politics can spill into sports logistics.

And to close this episode, here is the recommended read that zooms out from the daily headlines and looks at what comes next. On Sunday the 4th of January, Foreign Affairs published an analysis by Juan S. Gonzalez titled The End of the Beginning in Venezuela.

The piece argues that Maduro’s removal may feel like closure, but it is not. It says the hardest phase is still ahead, including rebuilding institutions, managing expectations, and avoiding a rush for quick wins that could backfire. The article also frames oil as only one part of the challenge, because legal disputes, governance, and security risks can shape what recovery looks like.

Want to read the full piece? Link in the show notes.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

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¡Hasta la próxima!