On Friday, January 31st, Richard Grenell, the Special Envoy of US President Trump, met with Venezuelan President Maduro, leading to the release of 6 detained American citizens. Grenell’s visit came as a surprise to many Venezuelans, who hope that Trump will continue his “maximum pressure” approach towards Maduro during his first term.
The primary goal of Grenell’s visit, as stated by Trump administration officials on Friday, was to secure the release of the detained Americans in Venezuela. While Grenell did not disclose the names of the six freed men, a photo he posted on the social media platform X on Saturday showed him disembarking from an airplane with them, most of whom were dressed in light blue attire used by the Venezuelan prison system.
On X, Grenell mentioned that he was bringing these six American citizens back home, stating that they had just spoken with President Trump and were continuously expressing their gratitude to him. Trump himself, on his new social media platform “Truth Social,” expressed his delight in seeing these American citizens return home.
According to Reuters, it remains unclear how many Americans are currently being detained in Venezuela, but according to Venezuelan officials, there are at least 9 individuals in custody.
On Friday, January 31st, Mauricio Claver-Carone, the US Special Envoy for Latin American Affairs, emphasized that the American hostages in Venezuela must be released immediately, stating that the meeting between Grenell and Maduro was not an exchange initiative.
In the latter half of 2023, after several months of negotiations, the Venezuelan government released dozens of prisoners, including 10 Americans. In exchange, the US released a close ally of Maduro.
Regarding Grenell’s visit, President Trump mentioned on “Truth Social” that Venezuela has agreed to accept all illegal Venezuelan immigrants residing in the US back to their country, including gang members, with Venezuela further agreeing to provide transportation services.
The Venezuelan government’s press office stated on Saturday that they would not be providing an official comment on these allegations at this time.