Overview

• Italy’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the release in Caracas of Américo De Grazia, an opposition figure arrested in August 2024, and former municipal official Margarita Assenza, detained since October 2024.
• Both were held at the Helicoide detention center and are now out of custody, but authorities require their court appearance on Monday and are restricting their travel from the capital.
• A daughter said De Grazia is sleeping at home with his family, noting that legal details of his status have not yet been clarified.
• Family-provided lists reported to Italian media indicate roughly a dozen political prisoners were freed, including Gorka Carnevali, ex–Maracaibo mayor Rafael Ramírez, and opposition leader Pedro Guanipa.
• Reporting attributes the releases to interventions by Henrique Capriles and mediation by former Spanish premier José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, while Italy continues efforts for other detainees such as Alberto Trentini and Biagio Pilieri.