Venezuela begins releasing Americans from its prisons as X platform returns to work
Venezuela on Tuesday began releasing Americans in its jails, a US official said, praising the move taken by the interim leadership in Caracas after Washington ousted President Nicolás Maduro, while the X platform is back available in the country after being blocked for more than a year by the ousted leader.
A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “We welcome the release of two Americans detained in Venezuela… This is an important step in the right direction on the part of the interim authorities”.
Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president who became the country’s acting president, ordered the release of prisoners following the US attack.
President Donald Trump praised the gesture, saying he had responded by canceling a second wave of strikes.
Many people have been jailed for taking part in protests over the 2024 election, in which Maduro was declared the winner, despite allegations of fraud.
Venezuela had earlier released Spanish and Italian citizens from its prisons.
The United States has long made the release of its citizens imprisoned abroad a top priority, and guaranteed the freedom of some in a deal with Maduro last year.
On the other hand, the X platform is available again in Venezuela after it was blocked for more than a year by the ousted president who was arrested by the United States on January 3.
Delcy Rodríguez wrote on her X account that she identified herself as “the acting president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela… Next to President Nicolás Maduro and following in the footsteps of Bolívar and Chavez, “We’re reconnecting through this (X)… Let’s stay united, and move forward towards economic stability, social justice, and the welfare state we deserve to aspire to!”
Maduro had banned X in Venezuela back in 2024 in retaliation for criticism posted on the platform for his re-election.
On Tuesday evening, access to X platform was available for some operators while others remained blocked.
Shortly before Rodriguez’s post, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello wrote a similar message: “We’ll use this platform again to communicate, keep listening… We’ll win!”
Cabello received more than 700 comments in just over two hours, as opponents wrote “You are next”, “They will come for you”, while supporters wrote “We’ll win” and “Thank you for being there and you will never give up”.
Maduro’s X account also updated a photo of himself and his wife, Celia Flores, with a post that read, “We want you back”.
Maduro and his wife have been held in a federal prison in Brooklyn since last week, when they pleaded not guilty to charges including drug trafficking, pending their next hearing on March 17.
The move comes as Rodriguez, under pressure from Donald Trump, signed oil deals with the United States, opened the way for the resumption of diplomatic relations severed since 2019, and announced the release of political prisoners.
According to human rights organizations, some 18 political prisoners have died in detention centers since 2014.
Protests against Maduro’s declaration of victory in the 2024 presidential election have led to the arrest of 2,400 people. More than 2,000 of them have been released, according to official figures.
