Italy to upgrade relations with Venezuela as two more Italians freed

Venezuela has released Italian citizens Alberto Trentini and Mario Burlo from prison, Italy said on Monday, pledging to upgrade relations with Caracas in response.



Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said no other citizens with solely Italian nationality remained in prison, after Venezuela freed two other Italian nationals, journalist Biagio Pilieri and businessman Luigi Gasperin, last week.



Dozens of dual Italian-Venezuelan nationals continue to be held.



Venezuela's leadership said on January 8 it was going to release a significant number of ‍prisoners, including foreign nationals, as a gesture of goodwill.



The move, heeding demands from human rights groups, international bodies and opposition figures, came after the U.S. attacked Venezuela and captured its president, Nicolas Maduro.



Trentini, a charity worker from Venice, was the most well-known among the Italian nationals held in Venezuelan prisons.



He was arrested in November 2024 with his Venezuelan driver Rafael Machado. He was working for Humanity & Inclusion, an NGO that assists disabled people.