Venezuela has begun freeing several American citizens detained in the country, the United States State Department announced, marking a notable development following recent tensions between the two nations. The department described the action by Venezuela’s interim authorities as “an important step in the right direction,” though it did not disclose the identities or the total number of Americans released.
According to officials familiar with the situation, four Americans were released together on Tuesday and another was freed quietly on Monday, making it likely that no Americans currently remain in Venezuelan custody. However, the State Department did not confirm this publicly.
The release follows a dramatic shift in Venezuela’s political landscape after a US military operation captured former President Nicolás Maduro in early January, and the interim government under Delcy Rodríguez announced it would start freeing a “significant” number of prisoners, including political detainees and foreign nationals.
Human rights groups, including Foro Penal, report that dozens of political prisoners have been freed since the beginning of January, though Venezuelan government figures on total releases vary widely and often lack independent verification. The government claimed hundreds of releases from December onward, a figure that rights groups dispute.
US President Donald Trump previously said he halted a planned second wave of airstrikes against Venezuela after learning Caracas was cooperating in the release of detainees, framing the development as positive progress in US–Venezuela relations.
The recent releases represent one of the few areas of cooperation between the US and Venezuela amid deeply strained relations, with long-standing disagreements over governance, elections, and human rights. Before this week, Venezuela had freed some Americans in past negotiations, including a July 2025 exchange involving jailed US citizens and deported Venezuelan migrants.
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