AP sources: Venezuela frees at least one jailed American

[Judi Lynn]

REGINA GARCIA CANO, JOSHUA GOODMAN and ERIC TUCKER,
Associated Press
March 8, 2022
Updated: March 8, 2022 8:51 p.m.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The Venezuelan government freed at least one jailed American on Tuesday night as it seeks to improve relations with the Biden administration, which is looking to undercut support for Russia in Latin America.

A nongovernmental group that tracks arbitrary detentions and another person familiar with the matter confirmed to The Associated Press the release of Gustavo Cardenas, one of six oil executives jailed for more than four years.

. . .

Three other Americans are also being held in Venezuela — two former Green Berets, Luke Denman and Airan Berry, who were arrested for their involvement in a confusing plot to overthrow Maduro, and former U.S. Marine Matthew Heath, detained on weapons charges.

. . .

The weekend discussions came a little more than three years after the U.S. broke off relations with Maduro and recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. The talks came together after months of backchannel efforts by intermediaries — American lobbyists, Norwegian diplomats and international oil executives — who have been pushing for U.S. President Joe Biden to revisit the so-far-unsuccessful “maximum pressure” campaign to unseat Maduro that he inherited from the Trump administration.

More:
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Maduro-signals-interest-in-better-Venezuela-US-16985526.php