Caracas on Saturday freed seven detained Americans — including five oil executives — in exchange for the release of two nephews of Venezuela’s first lady who were jailed in the United States for drug trafficking. President Joe Biden issued the announcement that the Americans were on their way home — and a senior official in his administration confirmed shortly afterward that the US leader had made the “painful decision” to greenlight the prisoner swap to secure their freedom. Full Text -> FuBarron’s

Traducción de cortesía -> Caracas liberó el sábado a siete estadounidenses detenidos, incluidos cinco ejecutivos petroleros, a cambio de la liberación de dos sobrinos de la primera dama de Venezuela que estaban encarcelados en Estados Unidos por narcotráfico. El presidente Joe Biden emitió el anuncio de que los estadounidenses estaban de camino a casa, y un alto funcionario de su administración confirmó poco después que el líder estadounidense había tomado la “dolorosa decisión” de dar luz verde al intercambio de prisioneros para asegurar su libertad.

Venezuela’s supreme court announced the ruling late Friday, disappointing family members who had hoped the surprise decision last fall to hear the appeal, and a recent jailhouse visit by a top State Department official, signified President Nicolas Maduro’s government was looking to release the men as part of a gesture to engage the Biden administration in talks over U.S. sanctions. Full Text-> CTVNews

Traducción e cortesía -> El Tribunal Supremo de Justicia de Venezuela anunció el fallo el viernes por la noche, decepcionando a los familiares que esperaban que la decisión sorpresiva del otoño pasado de escuchar la apelación, y una visita reciente a la cárcel por parte de un alto funcionario del Departamento de Estado, significaría que el gobierno del presidente Nicolás Maduro buscaba liberar a los hombres como parte de un gesto para involucrar a la administración Biden en conversaciones sobre las sanciones estadounidenses.

A senior U.S. diplomat quietly traveled to Venezuela this week and met with imprisoned Americans in an ongoing effort to secure release of the men the Biden administration believes are being held as bargaining chips by a top U.S. adversary, The Associated Press has learned. By Joshua Goodman and Eric Tucker. Full Text-> AP

Traducción de cortesía -> Un alto diplomático estadounidense viajó silenciosamente a Venezuela esta semana y se reunió con estadounidenses encarcelados, en un esfuerzo por asegurar la liberación de estos hombres, que el gobierno de Biden cree que están siendo retenidos como moneda de cambio por este importante adversario estadounidense, según pudo saber The Associated Press.

The so-called “Citgo 6,” a group of 5 US citizens and a permanent US resident under house arrest in Venezuela, have become pawns in the long-running confrontation between the United States and the Venezuelan regime of embattled President Nicolas Maduro. By Isa Soares. Video -> CNN

Traducción de cortesía -> Los llamados “Citgo 6”, un grupo de 5 ciudadanos estadounidenses y un residente permanente de Estados Unidos bajo arresto domiciliario en Venezuela, se han convertido en peones en el prolongado enfrentamiento entre Estados Unidos y el régimen venezolano del asediado presidente Nicolás Maduro.

Un tribunal de Venezuela concedió una audiencia de apelación para cinco ciudadanos estadounidenses y un residente permanente que fueron condenados por malversación de fondos en noviembre de 2020. Los hombres fueron aprehendidos en Venezuela en 2017 y han estado detenidos en el país desde entonces.Por Jonny Hallam/ Full Text->CNN

Six U.S. oil executives detained in Venezuela for four years on corruption charges have been granted a hearing before an appeals court, a rare decision by the judicial system in the South American country. By Regina Garcia Cano. Full Text -> Yahoo!News .

Venezuela released six former Citgo executives from prison, placing them under house arrest Friday as a goodwill gesture to President Biden, according to reports. The executives from the US oil refining company were arrested in 2017, accused of embezzlement and money laundering and last year received sentences ranging from eight to 13 years in prison. By Isabel Vincent. Full Text -> NewYorkPost

Venezuelan intelligence services monitored six U.S.-based executives of state-owned refiner Citgo Petroleum for a year on U.S. soil to determine their involvement in a deal the government deemed fraudulent, leading to their 2017 arrest in Caracas on corruption charges, according to court testimony. By Luc Cohen, Brian Ellsworth. Full Text -> Reuters

Trump and Biden must treat the Citgo 6 as hostages and turn up the pressure for their release. Editorial. Full Text -> Dallas Morning News

“After canceling their initial appearance before a judge dozens of times over the last three years, the illegitimate Venezuelan legal system suddenly convicted and sentenced these oil executives without any evidence,” Pompeo said in a statement. By Brie Stimson . Full Text -> Fox News

More than 1,000 days have passed since Tomeu Vadell, José Luis Zambrano, Alirio Zambrano, Jorge Toledo, Gustavo Cardenas and José Pereira — known as the CITGO-6 — were lured to Caracas for business meetings and then detained by masked security agents and thrown into one of Venezuela’s most dangerous prisons. While two of the men have been moved to house arrest and a trial process has begun, both positive developments, the four other men remain in Venezuela’s increasingly dangerous jails where COVID-19 continues to spread and threaten their lives. Full Text-> Mirage

CITGO-6 Surpasses 1,000 Days of Wrongful Detention in Venezuela, by Michael Pompeo DoS – > Press Statement