All known American prisoners have been released from Venezuelan prisons, U.S. authorities reported on Friday.
"We are pleased to confirm that the [temporary] authorities of [Venezuela] have released all known U.S. citizens who were held in [Venezuelan prisons]," the U.S. Embassy in Caracas stated on social media.
Just hours before this announcement, political prisoner Arturo Gaiño Ruyier, a citizen of the United States and Peru, was released from prison in Venezuela.
"He is already on his way to the U.S.," said Gonzalo Imioob, a representative of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Foro Penal on the X platform. Gaiño was detained in November on charges that were not disclosed.
For many years in Venezuela, it has been common practice to detain foreigners on charges of various crimes—from espionage to planning attacks. Foreign governments have stated that these charges are fabricated and that the detentions are little different from hostage-taking.
Since January 3, when U.S. armed forces detained and removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, relations between the two countries have begun to improve, and a process for the release of prisoners has been initiated.
Authorities claim that more than 800 prisoners have been released since last year; however, according to NGO estimates, about 400 people have been released since December, and since Rodriguez's statement, just over 300.
