Venezuela’s Amnesty Law for Democratic Coexistence (Full Translation)

Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—On February 19, 2026, Venezuela’s National Assembly passed the Amnesty Law for Democratic Coexistence. The law grants a “general and full” amnesty for offenses committed between January 1, 1999, and the date the law came into effect, provided they are linked to the violent events expressly listed in the text and are not related to crimes connected to assassinations, human rights abuses, drug trafficking, or corruption.

Its long-term scope—over 24 years—makes this law one of the most extensive adopted in Venezuelan history. It was approved unanimously by all political factors on Thursday, February 19, 2026.

Orinoco Tribune prepared the unofficial translation provided below:

Caracas, Thursday, February 19, 2026
No. 6,990 (Pag. 1) Extraordinary (Pag. 2)

AMNESTY LAW FOR DEMOCRATIC COEXISTENCE

Object
Article 1. The purpose of this Law is to grant a general and full amnesty for crimes or offenses committed within the framework of the events and time frame indicated in this Law, to promote social peace and democratic coexistence.

Purposes
Article 2. The purpose of this Law is:

1. To contribute to the promotion of peace, democratic coexistence, rectification, and national reconciliation.
2. To create conditions that promote the harmonious development of national life, public tranquility, democratic participation, and political pluralism.
3. To promote the use of democratic and constitutional mechanisms to resolve differences arising within society and thus prevent the events covered by the amnesty or similar events from happening again.
4. To promote the reintegration into public activity of the people who benefit from this Law.

Beginning
Article 3. This Law is governed by the principles and values of life, liberty, justice, peace, consensus, plurality, solidarity, democracy, social responsibility, and, in general, the preeminence of human rights, ethics, and political pluralism.

Public order and general interest
Article 4. The provisions of this Law are of public order and general interest.

Principle of Interpretation
Article 5. In case of doubt in the interpretation or application of this Law, the decision that most favors respect, protection, and guarantee of human rights shall be adopted, including that established in Article 24 of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Temporal scope
Article 6. The amnesty provided for in Article 1 includes all actions or admissions that constitute crimes or offenses committed and occurring between January 1, 2002, and the entry into effect of this Law, within the framework of the amnestied events.

Personal sphere
Article 7. The amnesty covered by this Law includes any person who is or may be prosecuted or convicted for crimes or offenses committed and occurring between January 1, 2002, and the entry into force of this Law, whether or not they are in court or enter into court after this Law enters into effect.

Exceptionally, when a person is not subject to the law and remains outside the national territory, they may be represented before the competent court by a duly authorized attorney to carry out the necessary legal proceedings without any other formality. After the amnesty application has been submitted, the person may not be deprived of liberty for the acts stipulated in this Law, nor subjected to judicial proceedings before the competent court for the purpose of granting the amnesty.

The amnesty will only cover persons who have ceased to carry out the acts constituting the crime or offense subject to amnesty or cease to carry them out at the entry into effect of this Law.

Facts subject to amnesty
Article 8. A general amnesty is granted for crimes or offenses committed and occurring within the established time frame, related to:

1. The coup d’état of April 11 and 12, 2002, including the assaults and attacks against governorships, mayoral offices, and public and military facilities.
2. Those related to the strike, business, and oil sabotage from December 2002 to February 2003.
3. Those related to the demonstrations and violent events for political reasons that took place on the occasion of the calling of and subsequent holding of the presidential recall referendum of 2004.
4. Those related to the demonstrations and violent events for political reasons that took place in May 2007.
5. Those related to the demonstrations and violent events for political reasons that occurred between July and September of 2009.
6. Those related to the demonstrations and violent acts for political reasons on the occasion of the campaigning for and holding of the elections of 2013 and the announcement of their results.
7. Those related to the demonstrations and violent events for political reasons that occurred between February and June of 2014.
8. Those related to the actions of the National Assembly installed in 2015 and the actions taken against public institutions and authorities.
9. Those related to the demonstrations and violent events for political reasons that occurred between March and August of 2017.
10. Those related to the demonstrations and violent acts for political reasons that occurred during 2019, excluding the acts that may constitute crimes of military rebellion.
11. Those related to the demonstrations and the internal processes for the selection of presidential candidates that took place in 2023.
12. Those related to the demonstrations and violent events for political reasons that took place amid the presidential elections held in 2024.
13. Those related to the demonstrations and violent acts for political reasons that took place amid the regional and mayoral elections held in 2025.

Excluded crimes
Article 9. The following actions and admissions constituting the following crimes shall be excluded from the application of the amnesty provided for in this Law:

1. Serious violations of human rights, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, as provided for in Article 29 of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
2. Intentional homicide and very serious injuries.
3. Crimes related to illicit drug trafficking.
4. Crimes covered by the Law Against Corruption.

Also excluded from the amnesty provided for in this Law will be persons who have promoted or participated, directly or through an intermediary, in soliciting, invoking, favoring, facilitating, financing, or participating in armed or forceful actions against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, its institutions, or Venezuelan officials by foreign States, corporations, or persons.

Extinction by operation of law
Article 10. With the amnesty regulated in this Law, the criminal, civil, administrative, and disciplinary liabilities of those benefiting from the amnesty are automatically extinguished at any stage and level of the proceedings or the sentence, including extradition requests, related to the acts covered by the amnesty in this Law. Consequently, no measure of personal coercion, alternatives to imprisonment, or any other measure that restricts their rights may be applied.

The scope of this amnesty will extend to all perpetrators and accomplices of the crimes or offenses referred to in this Law.

Judicial proceedings
Article 11. The competent court, at the request of a party, shall order the application of amnesty in each case and shall decree the dismissal of all pending proceedings or the termination of all precautionary measures, to be annulled by replacement sentences within a period not exceeding fifteen (15) consecutive days. It shall also issue all measures and orders necessary to ensure compliance with this Law, including the cessation of personal coercion measures, alternatives to deprivation of liberty, and any other measure that had been agreed upon.

The trial court shall hear and decide on requests submitted in proceedings that are in the preparatory, intermediate, or trial phases. The request may be submitted by the Public Prosecutor, the accused, the defense attorney, or the indicted person.

The appeals court will be responsible for hearing and deciding on requests submitted in proceedings during the execution phase. The request may be filed by any of the parties referred to in Article 463 of the Organic Criminal Procedure Code.

Resources
Article 12. Against the decision issued by the competent court resolving the facts covered by this Law, the victim duly accredited in the proceedings, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the defendant or accused may exercise the legal remedies, including appeal, with devolutive effect only. The appeal shall be processed in accordance with the provisions of the Organic Criminal Procedure Code.

Investigations and procedures
Article 13. The police and investigative police bodies, as well as the auxiliary bodies of justice, shall cease the administrative investigations and proceedings relating to the facts subject to this amnesty, except for the exceptions provided for in Article 9 of this Law.

Destruction of records or background information
Article 14. The administrative, police, or military bodies and entities in which records or background information of the persons to whom the amnesty subject to this Law is granted are kept, must eliminate from their files the records and background information related to them, ex officio or at the request of the Public Ministry, the victim, or their lawyer.

If the beneficiary has been requested for their arrest or capture abroad, the competent authorities must be notified immediately so that they can cancel said request.

Monitoring the implementation of this Law
Article 15. The National Assembly shall appoint a Special Commission to monitor the implementation of the amnesty provided for in this Law, in collaboration with the bodies of the justice system. To this end, it may contract the services of national experts to provide specialized advice in accordance with the established objectives and purposes.

In duly evaluated cases, this Commission may recommend to the State bodies the adoption of new measures and initiatives to achieve the purposes set forth in Article 2.

Peace and democratic coexistence
Article 16. The granting of amnesty contemplated in this Law contributes to the reparation of the victim or their relatives, who may benefit from this Law. Those involved in crimes committed after its entry into effect will be prosecuted in accordance with the applicable legislation.

FINAL PROVISION
SOLE ARTICLE. This Law shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Given, signed, and sealed at the Federal Legislative Palace, seat of the National Assembly of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in Caracas, on the eighteenth day of February, two thousand and twenty-six. 215th year of Independence, 166th year of the Federation, and 27th year of the Bolivarian Revolution.

[Image with the signatures of the National Assembly officials]

Promulgation of the LAW OF AMNESTY FOR DEMOCRATIC COEXISTENCE, in accordance with the provisions of Article 213 of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Given in Caracas, on the nineteenth day of February of two thousand and twenty-six. 215th Year of Independence, 166th Year of the Federation, and 27th Year of the Bolivarian Revolution.

Let it be done,
(L.S.)
DELCY ELOINA RODRÍGUEZ GÓMEZ
Acting President of the Republic
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela