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Venezuela released at least two jailed American citizens on Tuesday following a weekend trip by US diplomats to the country, a report said.
The apparent goodwill gesture by Venezuela – an oil-rich country – came the same day that President Biden announced a ban on Russian energy imports over Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The meetings between the high-level US delegation in Caracas focused not just on the US prisoners in Venezuela, but also the potential easing of US oil sanctions on the OPEC member amid an anticipated supply gap in the fallout from the Russian conflict.
American officials told The New York Times, which first reported the news, that the release of the two men had nothing to do with a potential deal to restart oil sales between Venezuela and the US.
Oil sales between the two countries were halted under the Trump administration.
In addition to Venezuela, Biden also been attempting to woo other oil-producing autocracies — including Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Those freed Tuesday in Venezuela are Gustavo Cárdenas and Jorge Alberto Fernández, the Times reported.
Cárdenas, who works as an executive for the American division of Venezuela’s state oil company was detained in 2017, the newspaper reported, citing two sources including a US official.
Fernández is a Cuban American who was detained in February 2021. He was accused of terrorism for bringing a drone into the country, his lawyer told the Times.
At least eight US citizens are still jailed in Venezuela.
With Post wires
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