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Venezuela freed six American detainees on Friday following a visit by Richard Grenell, former special missions envoy under US President Donald Trump, to Caracas for talks with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, according to a report by The Washington Post.
Grenell's visit marked what is believed to be the first direct engagement between a US official and Maduro since 2022. "We are home. God bless these Americans." Grenell said in a post on X today. https://x.com/RichardGrenell/status/1885567024795132035 In another post, he wrote, "We are wheels up and headed home with these 6 American citizens. They just spoke to @realDonaldTrump and they couldn't stop thanking him." https://x.com/RichardGrenell/status/1885482064050610536 State-run Venezuelan media aired footage of Grenell and Maduro shaking hands inside the Miraflores presidential palace. Earlier in the day, Trump announced that six American detainees were being brought home from Venezuela, and expressed gratitude to Richard Grenell and his staff for securing their release, calling it a "great job." In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Just been informed that we are bringing six hostages home from Venezuela. Thank you to Ric Grenell and my entire staff. Great job!" Grenell, a former acting director of national intelligence, and Maduro, the authoritarian socialist who has ruled Venezuela since 2013, met to discuss the Americans detained in the South American country, as well as deportation flights, cooperation to confront the Tren de Aragua gang and energy, according to one person familiar with the plan, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details, as reported by The Washington Post. Maduro's government had been holding at least nine Americans, detaining them amid a crackdown on dissidents and foreign nationals after Venezuela's July presidential election. He accused some detainees--without offering proof--of plotting violent acts in the country. The US officials and relatives of those arrested had spent months struggling to obtain information about their condition and whereabouts. According to a report by CNN, like the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada, the US also does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate leader. It has placed a raft of sanctions or visa restrictions on Maduro-aligned officials. Washington has no diplomatic presence in Venezuela. (ANI)
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