Venezuela releases Argentine-Israeli Yaacob Harary, imprisoned since 2024

Venezuela is moving forward with the process of releasing hundreds of political prisoners held in jails by the Chavista government.  On Monday, the release of Argentine-Israeli Yaacob Harary, imprisoned since 2024, was confirmed. Meanwhile, the government of Javier Milei awaits news regarding Nahuel Gallo and Germn Giuliani. The 72-year-old man had been arrested on September 4, 2024, when he crossed the border from Colombia. After more than a year in El Rodeo I prison, the human rights organization Foro Penal confirmed that Harary was among those recently released. On Monday the Venezuelan government released a list of 116 people freed from prison. So far, the NGO has tallied the names of about 50 people, including several foreigners.  Two Italians were also released that day: Alberto Trentini, 46, and Mario Burl, 52. Both had been detained in November 2024. The Italian government celebrated the decision and announced it would resume diplomatic relations by sending an ambassador to Caracas.  Among those released was also the Venezuelan-Spanish national Alejandro Gonzlez, the ex-husband of renowned lawyer and human rights defender Roco San Miguel, who was freed last Thursday as part of the same release process. The other Argentine prisoners  Meanwhile, uncertainty remains regarding military police officer Nahuel Gallo and lawyer Germn Giuliani, who have also been detained for over a year.  Gallo has been held at El Rodeo 1 prison since December 2024, and according to his family, after more than a year and a half of prohibiting visits, authorities allowed them this Sunday, although without giving clear information about his situation.  According to family and friends, since Gallo’s arrest, no letters, messages, calls, or visits had been authorized until this Sunday, marking a significant change in the conditions to communicate with him. The gendarme’s mother, Griselda Heredia del Valle, described the process as “very difficult” for the family, emphasizing the impact of the uncertainty and lack of clear information about her son’s condition during more than a year of detention.  The detention center, renamed the Special Maximum Security Service (CESMAS), is known for its strict regime and high isolation for political prisoners, which has drawn criticism from international organizations and family members for the lack of transparency and the conditions of confinement.  To date, there is no official list or reliable information about upcoming releases, and the methodology used by Venezuelan authorities has consisted of notifying families minutes before releases and leaving those freed at specific points outside the centers.  The decision to allow visits comes in a context of expectation and uncertainty, with Gallo’s family hoping that this easing of restrictions reflects progress toward future releases and, eventually, the officer’s safe return to Argentina. Originally published on mbito