The U.S. Embassy announced Friday evening that all known detained American citizens have been freed.
“We are happy to confirm that interim authorities have released all known U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela,” the embassy posted on X. “If you have details about any other U.S. citizens who remain in custody, please get in touch with American Citizen Services.”
No additional details about the detainees were made public. Digital has contacted the State Department for more information.
In the weeks following the U.S. arrest of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, interim authorities have gradually freed American detainees.
Both are being held on federal narco-terrorism charges.
Earlier this month, Venezuela’s interim government stated that 116 prisoners had been released, though only around 70 of these have been confirmed by the non-governmental organization Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón, as per Bloomberg.
Earlier this month, the U.S. government issued a travel advisory warning against visiting the country. Americans currently in Venezuela were advised to leave right away.
“The security situation in Venezuela is still unstable. The U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, cautions U.S. citizens against traveling to Venezuela, repeating warnings that have been in place since 2019. With international flights now operating again, U.S. citizens in Venezuela should depart the country as soon as possible.”
Venezuela is currently governed by acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who previously served as Maduro’s lieutenant.
This week, Rodriguez signed legislation that overhauls Venezuela’s oil industry, opening it up to privatization and rolling back a key policy of the socialist government that has led the country for over 20 years.
On January 10, the President stated that American energy firms will invest $100 billion to rebuild Venezuela’s “rotting” oil infrastructure and boost production to all-time highs.