The four Venezuelans kidnapped in Mexico are Claudia Rivero, her husband Carlos Ospina and two daughters aged 12 and 10, respectively. Claudia’s mother, Arelys Verde, lives in the United States and has no one to turn to because there are no consular services
Arelys Verde, a Venezuelan living in Georgia, in the southern United States, denounced this Friday to Efe that for a week she has not heard from her daughter, son-in-law and two granddaughters who were “kidnapped” from the Mexican side of the border, to despite having paid a ransom to his captors.
In a telephone conversation, Verde declared herself “desperate” and asked for help from the authorities and from anyone who could “humanitarianly” do something for her relatives, with whom she planned to meet once they applied for asylum at the border.
“My daughter, Claudia Rivero, my son-in-law Carlos Ospina and my two minor granddaughters, 12 and 10 years old (Victoria Alejandra and Carla Valentina), were kidnapped on Friday, September 16 in Ciudad Juárez (Mexico),” said Verde.
According to the Venezuelan, the family had arrived in Mexico from Bogotá, Colombia, by air. The hostages stayed in a hotel in the city of Juárez, where they were preparing to continue their journey when they disappeared.
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While they were in Ciudad de Juárez, Verde lost contact with her relatives until she received a call from the kidnappers, who revealed to her that they had her in their possession and demanded a ransom, which she paid without considering other options to guarantee her life. their families.
“They told me that they were going to kill them, I had to pay what they asked for and even so they were not released,” said Verde.
The kidnappers called again on Tuesday, September 21, still with the family in their power. They demanded a second payment to release the four victims. Verde paid, but again the criminals reneged on their part of the bargain. On this occasion, they even turned off their phones and communication was completely lost.
“They asked us for more money and it was given to them. They said they would release the family in a few hours, but that was not the case. They turned off their phone and we no longer heard from them, “warned the Venezuelan.
In total, Verde’s family paid around $16,000 in two installments to comply with the kidnappers’ demands. Now, they consider that they are “adrift”, without knowing if their relatives are alive and healthy.
The Venezuelan lamented the absence of consular services in the United States due to the breakdown of relations between the governments of both countries.
*With information from SwissInfo
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