Peru’s Diplomatic Fallout with Venezuela Endangers Citizens Amid Questionable Prisoner Releases

In an unfolding saga that underscores the dangers of fractured diplomacy, Peru’s Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela announced the release of Marco Antonio Madrid, a Peruvian citizen held prisoner in Venezuela since December 2024. His detention on accusations of conspiring against Nicolás Maduro’s government reveals the grim reality faced by Peruvians trapped amid hostile political maneuvering. Madrid’s imprisonment at El Rodeo I prison was not an isolated case. At least two other Peruvians remain incarcerated under charges ranging from espionage to terrorism. The deteriorating relationship—marked notably by Venezuela severing diplomatic ties after Peru recognized opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia as...