The hunger strike began Friday night at the Rodeo I prison on the outskirts of the capital, Caracas. The inmates are unhappy that they cannot be released under the law because it excludes cases involving the military.
The amnesty law was approved by Congress on Thursday as part of several reforms brought about by pressure from the United States after the country arrested former President Nicolás Maduro.
The opposition has criticized the new legislation, which appears to contain exemptions for certain categories of crimes the regime previously used to target Maduro's political opponents.
Around 11,000 prisoners could be covered by the amnesty; over 1,500 have applied, and as of Friday almost 400 political prisoners had been granted release.
