United States President Joe Biden said on Saturday (October 1) that seven Americans who were “wrongfully held” in Venezuela had been freed. Five of the seven were Citgo oil company workers who were jailed in 2017 while visiting the South American nation on business. Separate arrests were made for the other two.
After Biden’s announcement, Caracas also informed the release of two Venezuelans imprisoned in the US. A government statement said that Venezuela “announces the release of two Venezuelans unjustly imprisoned in the United States.” The statement added that US citizens had been freed for “humanitarian reasons”.
The officials said that the swap also included US Marine veteran Matthew Heath and Osman Khan. The officials also revealed that they were being exchanged for two of Maduro’s wife’s nephews, who had been jailed on drug charges.
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In a statement, Biden said that the “wrongfully detained” Americans “will soon be reunited with their families and back in the arms of their loved ones where they belong.”
“Today, we celebrate that seven families will be whole once more. To all the families who are still suffering and separated from their loved ones who are wrongfully detained – know that we remain dedicated to securing their release,” Biden added.
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The release came after secret negotiations between the US and Maduro’s administration, which is subject to severe US sanctions, including ones affecting the OPEC country’s energy industry.
The news comes as Washington is under intense pressure to do more to secure the release of the numerous Americans detained abroad, notably in Russia.
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