United States and Venezuela exchange prisoners for greater security – World Peace Organization

On December 20, 2023, U.S. President Biden and Venezuelan President Maduro negotiated a mutually beneficial prisoner exchange. The exchange returned 20 U.S. citizens who were unjustly detained in Venezuela to the United States, while Biden extradited Leonard Glenn Francis “Fat Leonard” and Alex Saab, high-risk prisoners who had significant interests in Venezuela. The identities of most of the U.S. prisoners were not revealed for their protection, however, two members of the U.S. Army Special Forces, Luke Denman and Airan Berry, were detained. Denman and Berry were captured in 2020, after President Trump launched a failed attempt to overthrow the Maduro government. The release of unjustly detained U.S. citizens around the world was a major initiative of the Biden Administration and has proven to be the largest release of U.S. citizens from Venezuela in history. This agreement came in conjunction with Biden’s easing of sanctions on Venezuela and Maduro’s agreement to provide clear pathways to a democratic election in Venezuela in 2024.

Reuters quotes Maduro as saying that this move “marks a step toward new diplomatic relations between Venezuela and the United States.” The United States has had significantly strained diplomatic and economic relations with Venezuela since 2017, when 350 sanctions were imposed on the country due to government corruption.

This series of agreements between Biden and Maduro have marked a sort of revolutionary armistice between the two countries. Generations of American presidents have attempted to fight the corruption prevalent in Venezuela, however, none have been successful. This agreement is different from those of the past, as Biden transparently articulated his expectations to Maduro, which included timelines and consequences if these obligations were not met. In addition to this, Biden and Maduro have given each other demonstrations of good faith by exchanging prisoners. Some members of Congress opposed this because they felt Biden was gambling with the lives of American citizens against an untrustworthy opponent; however, the success of this effort also shows promise for the rest of the agreement.

Historically, the United States has sought to help Venezuela overcome dictatorships that destroyed the economy and created humanitarian crises. Since 2017, the U.S. government has funneled $2.8 billion in assistance to Venezuelans, however, the Venezuelan government has been unwilling to adhere to U.S. policies corresponding to this aid, such as drug and arms control. Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro are the most notable opponents. Currently, Maduro is accused of manipulating the last Venezuelan presidential election. As of 2019, the U.S. embassy in Venezuela was closed and any aid provided to Venezuela from the United States was facilitated through the Venezuela Affairs Unit of the Colombian Embassy in Bogota, Colombia. Despite national and international calls for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela, Maduro continues to consolidate power and the state of the humanitarian crisis continues to expand.

There has been some concern in the United States that this move will unintentionally encourage hostage-taking. However, Maduro has already begun allowing opposition candidates for his 2024 campaign to appeal his election bans. While the outcome of these appeals remains to be seen, this is further than Maduro has ever gone in enshrining free and fair elections in Venezuela. On top of this, arrest warrants are being lifted for personnel who were arrested due to their associations with opposition candidates, so it is clear that Maduro is complying with Biden’s directives pertaining to the easing of US sanctions. This will serve to increase stability in the region as well as at home, and promote democracy and peace in a country that has had neither of these luxuries for decades.