Bringing Americans Home 2021 Panel Highlights Issues With Narrative Specific to Venezuela

On June 9th, 2021, James Foley Legacy Foundation reviewed the findings of their annual “Bringing Americans Home” report with a panel of government and non-government organizations.

Mickey Bergman of the Richardson Center brought up Luke Denman, Airan Berry, and Matthew Heath when answering a question about families struggling with the choice to engage with the media or stay quiet. Mr. Bergman made the important point that captors and their enablers are often left to set the narrative unchallenged because they controlled the capture and detention.

Luke and Airan’s case is a great example. Immediately after their detention, propaganda was employed by Maduro and mirrored by Jordan Goudreau, the mastermind behind the events that culminated in Luke and Airan's detention. With no other source of information, many in the media amplified what we now know to be a false narrative of the events. Such fictitious portrayals can restrict resources and support that would otherwise be available to wrongfully detained U.S. citizens. 

Much of the discussion of this panel revolved around the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-taking Accountability Act. This new law can play a critical part in getting U.S. Government support for Luke and Airan. It creates clear criteria to determine when an American is detained unlawfully by a foreign power. Once classified as a hostage, the USG is legally obligated to actively seek the American's freedom.

Clear and defined criteria for analyzing a case will help determine facts, rather than relying on the prevailing narrative manufactured by the Maduro regime and Jordan Goudreau.  

James Foley Foundation: James W. Foley (james foley foundation.org)
Bringing Americans Home 2021: Bringing_Americans_Home_2021+V2.pdf (squarespace.com)
Full recording of the June 9th Panel: https://youtu.be/NQbAP0F22FU 

The Richardson Center: www.richardsondiplomacy.org

See Mickey Bergman briefly discussing Luke’s and Airan’s case here: https://youtu.be/NQbAP0F22FU?t=2658

Contributing Writer, Manuel Supervielle