2023-11-10 00:29:56
Rumors come and go. There may be surprises in the coming days or weeks about a prisoner exchange between Washington and Caracas. There are nine prisoners in Venezuela while Álex Saab awaits in the United States.
(Also read: Defense of Álex Saab, willing to exchange American prisoners in Venezuela)
A source revealed to EL TIEMPO that the pressure from American relatives is strong, so some release would be possible.
These are the citizens waiting to be returned to the United States:
Eyvin Hernández and Jerrel Kenemore: the first, a 45-year-old lawyer who lived in Los Angeles. The second is a 55-year-old computer programmer. Both were detained when they were trying to enter Venezuela from Colombia through the state of Táchira irregularly. They are accused of conspiracy and association to commit a crime.
Airan Berry and Luke Denman: they are two former marines who were captured in the so-called “Operation Gideon” and convicted of conspiracy, criminal association, illicit trafficking in weapons of war and terrorism.
Hanid Ortiz Dahud: prosecuted for the murder of two Cuban women and an Ecuadorian in Spain in 2016.
It is still uncertain whether Álex Saab would be among those exchanged.
Photo:
(Also read: Health problems and depression: this is how Álex Saab is in a Miami prison today)
Joseph Ryan Cristella: captured in Táchira and prosecuted for conspiracy against the Venezuelan State.
Leslie Nereida Ortiz: detained for cocaine trafficking.
‘Fat Leonard’: a Malaysian citizen who is a fugitive from US justice who was arrested in Venezuela when he tried to board a flight to Russia.
(Also read: Prisoner exchange between the US and Venezuela: what does this rapprochement mean?)
Christian Del Toro Sanabria: arrested in June 2022 by the National Anti-Extortion and Kidnapping Command (Conas) for illegally entering Venezuela through Colombia.
What is known about them
It is unknown if all of them will be exchanged, but it is expected that in the process the Colombian-Venezuelan Álex Saab, imprisoned in the United States and accused of being Nicolás Maduro’s front man, can be returned to Venezuela.
The “Free Álex Saab” Movement has been one of those that has led the request for a humanitarian exchange, not only in Venezuela, but in other parts of the world, including the United States.
It would not be the first prisoner exchange, in October 2022 the nephews of the first lady, Cilia Flores, accused of drug trafficking, were delivered to Venezuela. In exchange for seven Americans, including five executives of the oil company Citgo, imprisoned since 2013 in the Venezuelan capital.
The Biden and Maduro administrations have been in talks for more than a year. The visible agreements have been the rapprochements between the ruling party and the opposition that ended with a signature in Barbados, but the conversations continue behind them.
ANA MARÍA RODRÍGUEZ BRAZÓN
TIME CORRESPONDENT
CARACAS
#exchange #prisoners #Venezuela #exchanged #Venezuela #International