Venezuela’s Political Prisoners: The Humanitarian Worker Left Behind Amid Diplomatic Deals
As Venezuela releases some foreign detainees for political gain, a Colombian humanitarian worker remains imprisoned without trial—highlighting ongoing abuses and the dangers of Washington’s silent complicity.
When Colombia’s Diana Tique rushed to the border last week, hopes were high that her brother Manuel—detained as a humanitarian worker in Venezuela—would finally be freed alongside other Colombians. But those hopes shattered quickly. Manuel, like many others caught in Caracas’ political chess game, was left behind.
This is no isolated case. Venezuelan prisons hold at least 80 foreign nationals without trial, from countries including Spain, France, and the U.S., used as pawns by President Nicolás Maduro’s regime to extract concessions from governments refusing to legitimize his stolen election.
How Long Will America Tolerate Maduro’s Hostage Diplomacy?
The United States has witnessed prisoner swaps—from the release of American citizens in exchange for Venezuelan migrants deported by the Trump administration to controversial diplomatic visits that critics say bolster Maduro’s grip on power. Yet many detained foreigners remain forgotten inside brutal facilities like Rodeo One prison, where conditions amount to torture.
Manuel Tique was arrested last September simply for crossing into Venezuela while working for the Danish Refugee Council. His mission was humanitarian: training local aid groups on monitoring vital food and medicine distribution—a far cry from Maduro’s false accusations that he is a terrorist recruiting mercenaries.
Diana Tique’s struggle illuminates the grim reality facing those trapped by Venezuela’s lawless system: no lawyer willing to defend them, no meaningful consular access, and indefinite detention without trial. Despite Colombia’s government opposing Maduro’s regime publicly, its diplomatic efforts have yet to secure Manuel’s freedom.
The True Cost of Appeasement on American Allies and Values
How can we claim commitment to freedom when our neighbors’ citizens languish in prison under false pretenses? For hardworking American families watching inflation rise and borders falter, this distant injustice is intimately connected to national security and regional stability.
This story raises urgent questions: How long will Washington ignore these abuses? When will our policies firmly support national sovereignty over globalist appeasement? As part of an America First approach, standing up for human rights across the hemisphere protects not only our moral authority but also our own borders and economic prosperity.
The release of some prisoners is welcome—but justice for all demands relentless pressure on tyrants exploiting innocent lives as political currency. Manuel Tique’s freedom should be non-negotiable.