At AlertaVenezuela, we have denounced the expansion of the detention and disappearance of foreign citizens and dual nationals by the de facto regime to obtain political and economic concessions internationally. What has been called “hostage diplomacy” is in full swing, becoming a systematic practice and an instrument of blackmail that affects not only the detainees, but also their countries of origin and the international community as a whole.
The deliberate and organized nature of this policy was evident in the recent and explicit warning from the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez. In a statement, Rodríguez announced that “any foreigner who enters this country without permission enters but does not leave. Here they remain imprisoned.” This pronouncement, far from being an isolated opinion, acts as an official warning, promoting a policy that until now has not had this level of instigation. The direct threat of detention for any foreigner who, according to the authorities’ criteria, fails to comply with the necessary “permits”, underscores the immense risk of traveling to Venezuela and provides justification for governments not only to warn their nationals about this danger, but also to act strategically and decisively to protect their populations.
Venezuelan organizations have rigorously documented this phenomenon. According to a recent report, of the 816 political prisoners registered in the country, 89 are foreigners, spanning multiple nationalities, although the majority are Colombian. These figures, in addition to constituting evidence of the growing use of hostage diplomacy, reveal an alarming trend: politically motivated detentions are widespread and continue under the revolving door, meaning some detainees are released so others can be brought in. Furthermore, most cases replicate the modus operandi applied against Venezuelan citizens—such as forced disappearances and denial of due process—which increases the number of crimes against humanity and reaffirms the scale and severity of the crimes against international public order that Maduro is willing to continue committing. In this regard, we must raise awareness that this figure, although serious, continues to be underreported, due to cases that are missing or go unreported.
Despite this overwhelming evidence, there is an incomprehensible passivity on the part of many states. Many foreigners continue to arrive in Venezuela, often without being fully aware of the risks they face. This is due in part to the inaction of certain governments, which have failed to implement effective communication campaigns to warn their citizens. However, the problem is far from being resolved with mere preventative measures that ultimately are combined with each person’s decision when traveling to Venezuela.
The situation begins to worsen when an arrest is made. Several relatives of those who have disappeared or detained, when they go to their respective foreign ministries, report facing a bureaucratic and ineffective response. The logic of “if Venezuela hasn’t reported the detention, it’s because it didn’t happen” prevents any meaningful diplomatic action, and what’s worse, completely ignores the fact that Venezuela systematically commits, as the IACHR has denounced, temporary enforced disappearances against real or perceived dissidents. Unfortunately, anyone can fall under the “perceived dissident” label. Governments, in many cases, seem content to wait for official confirmation from the regime, a step that rarely comes.
This dynamic forces families to take desperate measures. As a diplomatic source has reported, sometimes the only way to force greater diligence on the part of governments is through public denunciations. This media pressure, which governments should neither need nor desire, prompts foreign ministries to act, which could indicate a worrying dependence on the public outrage of individual families or groups to mobilize, or at least decisively rethink, diplomatic action.
In the aforementioned sense, Spain’s recent statement, which “strongly rejects” the detention of its two nationals, marks a change in position that signals a different reaction to the issue. This statement expands on the words of the Spanish representation before the Human Rights Council last July, but both have left out Spaniards with dual nationality (Spanish-Venezuelans), or at least less attention. Despite enjoying all the rights of Spanish citizens, these individuals do not appear to receive the same diplomatic response as citizens with exclusively Spanish nationality.
Norway’s role in this phenomenon has undergone a significant shift. For years, it had assumed the delicate role of mediator in negotiations between the Venezuelan government and the opposition, which often led it to maintain a position of diplomatic caution so as not to jeopardize dialogue. However, in a notable shift, Norway has moved from this neutral stance to issuing a frontal and public denunciation of the Venezuelan regime. Indeed, on the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the country “echoed the concern of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances regarding election-related disappearances in Venezuela, including so-called short-term disappearances committed during and around the July 2024 presidential elections.” In this regard, “we note that the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances reports that the number of pending cases in Venezuela has almost doubled during its last reporting period,” and urged Venezuela to “end political violence immediately and respect the right of the Venezuelan people to freedom of expression and peaceful political participation.” This statement by Norway reveals that, even for the most cautious actors, the gravity of human rights violations have reached a point where silence is unsustainable. Its action sends a clear signal to the international community: diplomacy cannot be a pretext for inaction when such crimes are committed.
Venezuelan hostage diplomacy is not a domestic issue. Its ramifications have a global cost, affecting stability, international relations, and respect for human rights and democracy worldwide. The use of people as bargaining chips is a flagrant violation of diplomatic norms and international law and dehumanizes victims, their families, and entire communities.
Following its previous editions, AlertaVenezuela reiterates that it is imperative that States, aware of this practice, adopt measures not only aimed at freeing their nationals, but also at reversing this system, which only thrives on the continued discretion and bilateral meetings with Maduro. A multilateral, coordinated, and high-level response is crucial to halt the advance of hostage diplomacy through a system of collective pressure. Only through a unified and decisive response can this policy of transnational repression be dismantled and people, Venezuelan and of other nationalities, be protected from a risk that appears to be growing. A regime like the Venezuelan one, and its allies, are trying to do nothing but undermine the world order.