Richard Grenell, President of the President Trump for Special Mission, said on social media That he flew home from Venezuela on Friday with six US detainees, after a meeting with the President of the country.
There were at least nine people with US citizenship or residence in Venezuela, Venezuelan officials announced. The government accused some of them planning to kill the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro.
“I was just informed that we bring six hostages home from Venezuela,” Mr. Trump said on social media. “Thanks Ric Grenell and my whole staff. Great job! “
The United States has no diplomatic presence in Venezuela, and the US government was not even sure where its citizens were held, said State Department representative this month.
The relatives of three detained American nationals said they received very little information from the US government and that they had not been heard from their loved ones since they disappeared for months.
David Estrella, 64, who worked in quality control for pharmaceutical companies in New Jersey, was among those who were published, his family said.
“After such terrible moments that we and David suffered unjustly, we look forward to welcoming him home and taking care of him until he completely recovered and left that unfortunate incident behind him,” said Elvia Macias, Mr. Estrela’s ex -wife and close. friend. He entered Venezuela from Colombia to visit friends, Ms. Macias said.
Mr. Maduro, an autocrat whose country has recorded an extraordinary exodus in recent years, has become more and more isolated on the global stage, accused of stolen in July in July. The United States recognized the opposition candidate as a legitimate winner.
After the controversial elections, Mr. Maduro began to round out foreign prisoners, which is a former move. American diplomats and analysts said they saw as if they were looking for negotiating chips to use with other nations.
Mr. Trump’s foreign policy team involves many assistants who support the hard line Against Mr. Madura, and experts in politics said that the Venecuela leader was most likely to be afraid that Washington would take a stricter attitude, including the potential imposition of more economic sanctions.
Mr. Maduro, who spent all the time accusing the economic troubles of Venezuela of American Imperialism, spoke of launching a new era of engagement with the United States in television remarks on Friday. He did not directly refer to the published Americans.
“We are starting a new beginning of historical relations in which what to do will be done, and what to correct will be corrected will be corrected,” he said. “We love and admire the people of the United States.”
Mr. Maduro also called his meeting with Mr. Grenell “Frank, direct, open and positive” and said, “We are not anti -American nor have we ever been anti -American.
But Mauricio Claver-Carone, an American special envoy for Latin America, said in a call with journalists on Friday morning that Mr. Grenell would not make any concessions in exchange for the release of US detainees.
“This is not quid pro quo,” he said. “It’s not a negotiating in exchange for anything.” He called to the Government Maduro to “watch” Mr. Grenell’s requests “because ultimately there will be consequences otherwise.”
Julie Turkewitz Contribute to reporting from Santander in Colombia.
