Venezuela Releases Americans and Reopens 'X' Platform

SadaNews - Venezuela has begun the release of American citizens who were held in its prisons, a step that has been welcomed by Washington, coinciding with the return of the "X" platform to operation in the country after a ban that lasted for more than a year.

A U.S. State Department official stated that the release of the Americans represents a "significant step in the right direction" by the interim leadership in Caracas, which took power after the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro.

Delcy Rodríguez, who is serving as the acting president, ordered the release of several prisoners, at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump announced the cancellation of a second wave of military strikes in response to this step.

Many of those detained had been imprisoned due to their participation in protests that erupted following the controversial 2024 elections. Venezuela has previously released detainees from Spain and Italy.

In a related context, the "X" platform has become available again in Venezuela after Maduro banned it in 2024 due to widespread criticism directed at him through it.

Rodríguez wrote in her first post after lifting the ban that the return to the platform aims to "enhance communication, unity, and progress towards economic stability and social justice".

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello also posted similar messages, amid widespread interaction from supporters and opponents, while Maduro's account was updated with a new picture of him and his wife along with a message calling for their return.

These developments come amid rapid political and diplomatic moves, including signing oil agreements with the United States, reopening official communication channels, and releasing political prisoners, in an attempt to turn the page on tensions and rearrange the internal landscape in Venezuela.

On Tuesday, Venezuelan authorities announced that they are still working to identify the victims who fell due to U.S. strikes on the capital Caracas, confirming that the process requires DNA testing.

A Venezuelan minister stated that the death toll reached at least 100 people in the airstrikes carried out by the United States on January 3, targeting Caracas and its suburbs, in addition to the assault on the military complex where President Nicolás Maduro was holed up.

According to the authorities, about half of the victims are members of the Venezuelan security forces and allied Cuban forces that were responsible for protecting Maduro.

The military operation led to the kidnapping of 63-year-old Maduro and his wife, who were taken abroad and are currently held in a prison in New York awaiting trial on drug and weapon-related charges.