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3d ago

US Demands Release of Argentine Gendarme Held by Venezuela

Washington’s public call follows a failed high-level prisoner swap, underscoring diplomatic pressure alongside covert evacuation of Gallo’s family.

Argentina's Gendarmeria officer Nahuel Gallo, who, according to Venezuelan officials, was detained after attempting to enter Venezuela irregularly, walks at an undisclosed location in this image obtained by Reuters on January 3, 2025. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE
Nahuel Agustín Gallo, gendarme argentino, quien se encontraba visitando a su familia en Venezuela.
Image

Overview

  • US State Department spokesperson Natalia Molano urged President Nicolás Maduro to free Argentine gendarme Nahuel Gallo and all foreign nationals detained without due process.
  • Diplomats from the US and Argentina are operating out of Bogotá to build international support after a secret July prisoner‐swap collapsed over an impossible Venezuelan condition.
  • Gallo remains incommunicado at El Rodeo I prison, facing espionage and terrorism charges that Venezuela has not publicly substantiated.
  • The US conducts consular and diplomatic efforts from Colombia due to the absence of an embassy in Caracas, seeking multilateral cooperation to secure detainee releases.
  • Argentina executed a covert operation to evacuate Gallo’s wife, María Alexandra Gómez, and their two‐year‐old son from Venezuela to Argentina under National Gendarmerie support.