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The administration of US President Joe Biden has looked to secure the release of a number of American nationals that have been detained in Venezuela. The families of those who have been detained have encouraged and defended Biden to continue engaging with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro.
According to The Miami Herald, the families of eight US citizens who have been detained in Venezuela are urging Biden to continue engaging with Maduro. In a letter to the US leader, the families acknowledged the risks involved in making negotiations for the citizens’ release but noted that there is now an opportunity that would require a leader who is prepared to face potential criticism.
“There is no question that President Biden’s approval of this outreach was a risk,” said the families in a letter obtained by McClatchy. “But we have an opportunity, and it requires a principled leader who is prepared to face potential controversy.”
“It was the American response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine that may have kicked that door wide open,” wrote the families. “But none of this would have been possible without President Biden’s decisive leadership from the top.”
This comes as a meeting between Maduro and two senior US officials led to the release of two Americans last week, marking the first high-level engagement between the two countries in years. Biden was praised for securing the release, but both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have expressed concerns regarding broader discussions on oil imports with Maduro may only bolster his power.
The Americans that are detained in Venezuela include the remaining members of the Citgo 6, executives of the state-owned Venezuelan oil company who have been detained since 2017, and three former US soldiers who were arrested in 2020.
In other related news, Russia has imposed sanctions of its own, barring Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and several other US officials in response to the US and European sanctions against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
Among the US officials included is Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, CIA director William Burns, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
