Six Americans freed in Venezuela after Trump envoy Maduro

Cnn
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Six Americans, who had been arrested in Venezuela, canceled President Donald Trump on Friday after his envoy met with the President of the State of Nicolás Maduro.

The meeting in Caracas, which was first reported by CNN, was remarkable because Washington did not officially recognize Maduro’s presidency – the opposition leaders in Venezuela accused the elections of the past year.

US officials have not yet given any details of the six prisoners, but Trump’s envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, has posted an image on X with the men on board an aircraft.

“I was just announced that we will bring six hostages home from Venezuela,” Trump wrote in one position about the social truth. “Many thanks to Ric Grenell and my entire staff. Great job! ”

Grenell’s picture shows four of the freed Americans who wear light blue outfits who are usually worn by people in the Venezuelan prison system.

“We are on the bikes and are home with these six American citizens. They only spoke to President Trump and couldn’t stop thanking him, ”wrote Grenell in his post.

Maduro’s claim for a third term was contested by the country’s opposition, which has published thousands of votes that suggested that her candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won the election in July last year. They were supported by independent observers such as the Carter Center and the Colombian election mission.

Like the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada, the United States does not recognize Maduro as a legitimate leader in Venezuela. It has provided a number of sanctions or visa restrictions for Maduro-oriented civil servants. Washington has no diplomatic presence in Venezuela.

In September, the United States confiscated Maduro’s aircraft.

After a meeting between Grenell and Maduro, Friday took place, from which it was expected to cover the deportation of the Venezuelan nationals from the USA. Trump has prioritized his promise of mass deportation, but Maduro refused to take back the Venezuelan nationals – and the United States could not send Venezuelans back due to frosty relationships.

Gonzalez, which the USA recognized as the elected president in Venezuela and who took part in Trump’s inauguration, warned the White House about deportation flights before concluding a contract with Maduro.

When Grenell went to the meeting on Friday, Trump was asked whether his envoy was photographed with Maduro would give legitimacy to the Venezuelan guide.

The US President said reporters that he wanted to “do something with Venezuela”, but noticed that he was “a great opponent of Venezuela and Maduro”.

“They didn’t treat us so well, but they treated the Venezuelan people very badly,” he said.

Maduro said late Friday evening in an annual speech before the judiciary that the meeting with Grenell had granted some first shops and, according to Reuters, he was looking forward to “new deals for the well -being of the two countries and the region”.

“President Donald Trump, we took a first step, hopefully it can continue,” said Maduro.

Maduro and Grenell also discussed questions of migration and sanctions on Friday, according to the Venezuelan government.

Under Maduro-in Amt since 2013-is oil-rich Venezuela has fallen into a deep economic and political crisis that was captured by hyperinflation. Millions of people have fled the country out of fear and despair.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises the Americans to travel to Venezuela and warned: “There is a high risk of illegal imprisonment of US members.”

In August last year, the Venezuelan secret service agency Sebin arrested a sailor of the US Navy, said an official who spoke to CNN.

Nine Americans were brought home by the Biden administration in 2022 after five years in prison in the country from Venezuela.

In December 2023, the United States secured the release of six wrongly arrested Americans and four other Americans in Venezuela.