Relatives of Argentines detained in Venezuela demanded this Saturday that their cases are included in the general amnesty law, announced by the president in charge of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguezto free political prisoners from 1999 to the present, a period that covers the Chavismo governments.
At a press conference at Venezuelan Argentine Centerin Buenos Aires, the families of the Argentine gendarme Nahuel Agustín Gallo and the lawyer Germán Giuliani, both detained in Venezuelademanded that the grace measure include their names and those of all the people “arbitrarily detained” in Venezuela.
Relatives of detained Argentines ask to include their cases in the amnesty law proposed by Rodríguez
María Alexandra Gómez, Gallo’s partner, who has been deprived of his freedom for 419 days, told the press: “We are waiting for him, his son is waiting for him. We applaud the amnesty law when all those are released.”
Gómez stated that the initiative gives him hope, but he highlighted that families remain cautious due to the delays recorded in recent weeksdespite official release announcements.
Virginia Rivero, wife of Giuliani detained in that country since May 2025, requested that the amnesty benefit all people deprived of their liberty without distinction of nationality.
“Let them all be: the Argentines, the Venezuelans and all the foreigners who are missing,” he expressed, and highlighted that more than 50 foreign hostages remain imprisoned in Venezuela.
Vanesa Giuliani, the lawyer’s sister, stressed that they are not seeking privileges, but justice: “All prisoners in Venezuela today are innocent victims of a system that has oppressed the people for more than 20 years. “Let it be a real amnesty, let it be quick and let all countries echo what is happening and be observers.”
The president of the NGO Alliance for Venezuela, Liset Luque, celebrated the decision of the Venezuelan government to close the El Helicoide prison, headquarters of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin) in Caracas, which she described as a “torture center,” and demanded that the measure be extended to the rest of the detention places.
Rodríguez presented the general amnesty bill on Friday with the aim of “repairing the wounds” left by the political confrontation in the South American country.
The president He asked for “maximum collaboration” from the legislative body for the approval of the norm and specified that the proposal excludes those prosecuted or convicted of homicides, drug trafficking and human rights violations.
Last Wednesday, the families of Argentine detainees in Venezuela held a meeting with Felipe Ajenjo, head of the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Argentina and delivered a petition addressed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, to achieve the release of the people who remain “arbitrarily detained” in the Caribbean country.
