Two Americans Released from Venezuela - Hope for Those Who Remain
On Tuesday, March 8th, two American citizens wrongfully detained in Venezuela were released. Gustavo Cardenas (one of the "Citgo 6") and Jorge Fernandez are now back at home after an official US visit to Venezuela by Roger Carstens (Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs) and US President Biden officials. We are relieved to see these men freed, and that their long nightmare is finally over.
Over the last week, we have been glued to the news, waiting for anything to come out that would show a similar response concerning the remaining 5 of the Citgo 6 (Jose Angel Pereira, Jorge Toledo, Tomeu Vadell, Alirio Jose Zambrano, and Jose Luis Zambrano), Matthew Heath, or Luke and Airan, before commenting further. No such news has arrived.
While it is excellent news that tensions between Venezuela and the US seem to have eased somewhat, leading to the release of Jorge Fernandez and Gustavo Cardenas, there is still a lot of work to be done to continue to petition for the release of those wrongfully held, the 8 remaining imprisoned American citizens among them. A letter addressed to the President of the United States and his administration has been signed by families of the Citgo 6, Matthew Heath, and Luke and Airan, calling for a similar resolution.
8 remaining Americans wrongfully detained in Venezuela
We continue to hold out hope for the remaining Citgo 6, Matthew Heath, Airan Berry, and Luke Denman - and a host of other political prisoners held in Venezuela - this process is slow, and politicians move even slower, but we are optimistic. In the meanwhile, we ask that you please help where you can. These men continue to suffer while they and their families await any information about their situation.
We have also launched a GiveSendGo in an attempt to continue raising awareness for Luke and Airan, and to help get them the food, clothes, and care they need while they weather their imprisonment: