A Venezuelan human-rights organization, Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón, has challenged the government’s claims that the infamous El Helicoide detention center in Caracas has been closed. Despite official announcements, the group asserts that at least 25 political prisoners remain incarcerated there. This revelation raises doubts about the reforms promised by Venezuela’s interim government under acting President Delcy Rodríguez following the ousting of former leader Nicolás Maduro. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously cited the closure of El Helicoide as a sign of progress in dismantling the country’s authoritarian regime. El Helicoide, originally designed as a commercial complex in the 1950s, has become synonymous with torture and abuse, as documented by human-rights groups and United Nations investigators. While Rodríguez announced plans to transform the facility into a social center, the continued detention of political prisoners indicates that the transition remains incomplete. Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón urges international organizations to verify the situation, emphasizing that the closure cannot be recognized while individuals are still deprived of liberty.