Venezuela: Release of five Spanish political prisoners confirmed
The measure comes after the announcement by Caracas that it will release a "significant number" of detainees. The White House assured that the releases had been thanks to Trump's strategy of "maximum pressure."
Venezuelan police at a detention center
Spain announced Thursday the release of five of its nationals detained in Venezuela. This news came shortly after the head of the Venezuelan Parliament, Jorge Rodriguez, announced that "a significant number" of detainees were being released.
"The Government of Spain welcomes the release today in Caracas of five Spaniards, one of them a dual citizen, who are preparing to travel to Spain assisted by our embassy in Caracas," the Spanish Foreign Ministry confirmed the release in a communiqué. "Spain, which maintains fraternal relations with the Venezuelan people, welcomes this decision as a positive step in the new stage in which Venezuela finds itself."
Although the initial communiqué did not include the names of those released, the Spanish press soon afterward revealed their identities: Andrés Martínez Adasme, José María Basoa, Miguel Moreno, Ernesto Gorbe and Rocío San Miguel, a Hispanic Venezuelan who has become a leading figure in the struggle for freedom in the Caribbean country.
Politics
Some Republicans are pushing for free elections in Venezuela and warn of their distrust of Delcy Rodriguez
Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón
The Venezuelan media outlet El Nacional also reported that, according to the organization Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón, another ten Venezuelan prisoners such as lawyer Nélida Sánchez and politician Enrique Márquez have been released.
These are the first releases from Nicolas Maduro’s replacement, Delcy Rodriguez. The former vice president took office after the deposed dictator and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured on January 3rd during a U.S. military operation.
Rodriguez herself had advanced the measure a day earlier, assuring that it was a unilateral gesture: "It is our gesture." Her brother Jorge Rodriguez, in charge of the Parliament, later assured that it was "a gesture aimed at peace and so that our Republic can develop in a climate of tranquility."
The Trump Administration welcomed the information, asserting that it was due to President Donald Trump: "This is one example of how the president is using maximum leverage to do right by the American and Venezuelan people," deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told AFP.
U.S. oil deal
The plan calls for the sale of between 30 and 50 million barrels immediately. These will be administered by the Trump Administration, which assured it will thus be able to guarantee the transparency and legality of the funds.
The oil deal reportedly corresponds to a broader plan to stabilize the country and then guarantee a smooth political transition, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The objective, he explained, is to gradually clean up the Venezuelan accounts to ensure that the political transition process is successful.
The agreement, brokered by the Rodriguez family, has reportedly generated confusion in parts of the Chavista regime.
At the same time, the Government announced meetings with oil companies to discuss both reserves in Venezuelan territory and the seizures of oil tankers with crude oil from Venezuela.
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