German released after years in prison in Venezuela
A woman from Baden-Württemberg, Germany, has been sitting in a Venezuelan prison for over two and a half years. She is accused of marijuana smuggling and sentenced to twelve years in prison. Foreign Minister Baerbock reportedly intervened personally for her release - successfully.
A young German woman has been released from Venezuelan prison after more than two and a half years. The spokesperson for the 30-year-old confirmed that she arrived in Munich and was picked up at the airport by her parents. She is "doing well considering the circumstances." According to the Foreign Office, the woman was cared for by the German embassy in Caracas before her release.
The woman from Bad Urach in Baden-Württemberg was sentenced to twelve years in prison in Venezuela for alleged marijuana smuggling of about half a kilogram. She had always denied the accusation, but local authorities rejected her appeal. Instead, the young German woman had to stay in prison. As "Spiegel" reports further, visits by German diplomats were initially impossible due to security reasons.
The Ministry of Annalena Baerbock reportedly made intensive efforts for the woman's release in the past two and a half years, according to circles involved in the negotiations. It is said that the "prospect of a humanitarian solution" arose following a phone call. Foreign Minister Baerbock reportedly phoned her Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza in mid-June of this year and intervened on her behalf.
Venezuela has been ruled authoritatively by President Nicolás Maduro since 2013. The 61-year-old is known for taking a hard line against political opponents. In recent years, people from western countries have been arrested arbitrarily in Venezuela. According to "Spiegel" information, the now released woman had to serve her sentence in a prison for drug smugglers in the Venezuelan-Colombian border area to begin with. She was eventually transferred to Los Teques near the capital Caracas about a year later.
- Annalena Baerbock, the German Federal Foreign Minister, has reportedly been actively engaging in diplomacy with Venezuela to secure the release of a German citizen imprisoned there for over two and a half years.
- The successful release of the German woman from prison in Venezuela was welcomed at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin, with officials acknowledging the significant role of international diplomacy in resolving such complex cases.
- As the situation in Venezuela continues to be a concern for many international actors, the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin will likely maintain its focus on advocating for the rights of German citizens and promoting peaceful resolution of conflicts in the region.
