The Trump administration has had lots to say about pressuring Venezuela’s government, but it has been mostly silent on an urgent issue: freeing wrongfully detained prisoners, especially Americans.
In the lead-up to the extradition operation, the Venezuelan government wrongfully detained several U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The United States certainly has plenty of leverage to press Caracas to free the handful of Americans that remain in its custody — such as 28-year-old James Luckey-Lange, who was taken after entering the country in December. No doubt, the administration will exercise that leverage, just as it did in negotiating the release of 10 Americans from the country earlier this year as part of a broader prisoner swap.
The pressure cannot end there. The socialist regime has a long, well-documented record of jailing critics and subjecting them to harsh conditions, including physical and psychological torture. Human rights groups estimate that between 800 and 900 people are currently imprisoned for political reasons, often charged with crimes such as terrorism or conspiring to overthrow the government simply for criticizing the government. Many have never been convicted, yet they remain behind bars for months on end.
The regime will not suddenly change on its own. In fact, the government has cracked down on dissent since Maduro’s capture, directing authorities to search for and arrest “any person involved in the promotion of or support for the armed attack by the U.S.” More than a dozen journalists, including from foreign outlets, have been detained and interrogated.
Trump officials have so far been cagey about how quickly they will push Venezuela to hold elections. That is understandable; it would be unreasonable to expect an immediate democratic transition, especially with Maduro’s cronies still in power. But a regime too paranoid and repressive to free political prisoners won’t be a reliable partner on other issues.
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