US urges Venezuela to release remaining political prisoners

The US has urged Venezuela to release the remaining political prisoners being held in the South American country. More than 1,000 political prisoners have been freed since US forces seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a military raid on Caracas on 3 January and took him to New York, where he faces trial on drug-trafficking and torture charges. But Venezuelan prisoners' rights group Foro Penal says 322 people remain in detention. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met his Venezuelan counterpart, Oliver Blanco, on Monday where he called for their release and discussed reforms aimed at laying the groundwork for free, fair, and credible elections, the US state department said.