Overview
- Foreign minister Yván Gil, in a CNN interview later posted by his ministry, said he knows the case, asserted Trentini has a lawyer, and claimed a legal process is under way.
- Trentini, an Italian aid worker held in El Rodeo I near Caracas, has been detained about 300 days with only two brief phone calls to his family and no visits from Italy’s ambassador or consul.
- No charges have been publicly communicated to Italy, and Gil did not specify any alleged offenses while defending Venezuela’s handling of foreign detainees.
- Italy named Luigi Vignali as special envoy, but his early August mission to Caracas was blocked; two Italo‑Venezuelans, Américo De Grazia and Margarita Assenza, were released on August 24.
- Foro Penal reports at least 823 political prisoners in Venezuela, including 91 foreigners, and rights groups say foreign nationals are often used as bargaining chips and face harsh conditions at El Rodeo I.