Venezuela seeks to achieve the easing of the sanctions imposed on the country by the United States during an upcoming multinational conference in Colombia, in particular, through a prisoners swap deal, Newsweek magazine reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed Venezuelan officials
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th April, 2023) Venezuela seeks to achieve the easing of the sanctions imposed on the country by the United States during an upcoming multinational conference in Colombia, in particular, through a prisoners swap deal, Newsweek magazine reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed Venezuelan officials.
The conference, which is scheduled to bring together officials from about 20 countries, will start on April 25 in the Colombian capital, Bogota.
"We hope that all parties come to the conference with a commitment to engage in positive dialogue and a desire to end unilateral sanctions, explore genuine ways to move forward and achieve progress," the Venezuelan official told Newsweek.
In addition to the sanctions issue, Caracas also intends to negotiate a deal that would involve the release of US citizens from prison in exchange for further concessions.
"The Venezuelan government has made it clear to the US government its position on a prisoner swap. It is logical that our offer will be a subject of discussion at the upcoming conference in Bogota. Venezuela is waiting for a response from the American side on that offer," the official added, as quoted by Newsweek.
In October 2022, Caracas released seven US citizens from prison. The following month, the US partially lifted the sanctions it had imposed on Venezuela in 2019, allowing US corporation Chevron to resume oil production in Venezuela.
However, several US citizens remain imprisoned in the country. Among them is lawyer Eyvin Hernandez, who was arrested for alleged illegal entry in Venezuela via Colombia in March 2022. In October, the US State Department declared him "wrongfully detained" and vowed to achieve his release.
