Trump administration says Venezuela has released jailed US citizens
BBC • • nation
Key Points:
- Venezuela has begun releasing multiple American detainees, marking the first known release since a US military operation captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife in January on drug trafficking charges.
- The interim government, led by Delcy Rodríguez, announced a "goodwill gesture" to free a significant number of political prisoners, with about 50 released so far out of an estimated 800 detained.
- Former US President Donald Trump claimed credit for halting a second wave of airstrikes on Venezuela after learning about the cooperation on prisoner releases, viewing it as a test of his influence in the country.
- Critics, including opposition figures and human rights groups, caution that the releases are insufficient and accuse the interim government of continuing to detain political prisoners to suppress
