PRAGUE, Jan 16 (Reuters) – Venezuela has freed Czech, Hungarian, Dutch and German citizens imprisoned in the country, their governments said on Friday, part of a flow of prisoner releases following the U.S. capture of Nicolas Maduro.
The Czech man released had been detained in 2024 when Venezuelan authorities accused him of planning to take part in a plot to kill Maduro, who was still in power as president at the time, and overthrow the government, according to Czech media.
The Czech foreign ministry said last year the man had been imprisoned “without charges and a fair trial”. Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal said he was detained for political reasons.
Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka said he had been released together with imprisoned nationals from Ireland, Romania, Germany, Albania, Ukraine and the Netherlands.
“After several weeks of intense negotiations, we managed to secure (his) release,” Macinka told a press conference, adding that the Czech Republic was ready to renew diplomatic relations with Venezuela.
Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul said on X that the release of three Germans was a “gesture towards more constructive relations”.
The Netherlands said three Dutch people had been freed while Hungary said a Hungarian citizen who had been on a research vessel had also been released.
Jorge Rodriguez, the president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, and U.S. President Donald Trump had both said large numbers of prisoners would be released after the United States captured Maduro at the start of the year.
Venezuela said this week more than 400 people had been released. Rights groups say the figure is smaller.
(Reporting by Jason Hovet and Jan Lopatka, Additional reporting by Anita Komuves, Thomas Seythal, and Bart Meijer, Editing by Timothy Heritage, Philippa Fletcher)
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