“Venezuela plans prisoner release, including Americans, in exchange for ally.”
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government plans to release 36 individuals, including 12 Americans, in exchange for the return of Colombian businessman Alex Saab, a Maduro ally facing accusations of embezzlement totaling $350 million through U.S. channels. The U.S. had previously relaxed sanctions on Venezuela after the government agreed to hold fair elections in 2024 but threatened to pause this relief without prisoner releases.
While these releases might show compliance, Saab’s return would favor Maduro, as his repatriation seemed improbable. Venezuela had a November 30 deadline to lift office bans on opposition candidates and release political prisoners and “wrongfully detained” Americans to avoid sanctions reinstatement, with some progress on bans’ appeals but limited headway on prisoner releases before Wednesday.
Maduro’s government, without specifics, plans an event on Wednesday, coinciding with reports of the U.S. having already released Saab. Saab has pleaded not guilty, and his trial date remains unset. Among those to be freed are 20 opposition-related Venezuelans and four linked to opposition figures like Maria Corina Machado.
Identifying the 12 soon-to-be-released Americans remains uncertain. Eyvin Hernandez, Jerrel Kenemore, Joseph Ryan Cristella, and Savoi Wright, categorized by the U.S. as “wrongfully detained,” are part of this group. Hernandez, Kenemore, and Cristella faced charges of illegal entry near the Venezuela-Colombia border, while Denman and Berry, former Green Berets, are jailed for involvement in a failed armed incursion in 2020.
