VILLA DEL ROSARIO, Colombia — Family members seeking the freedom of Colombian prisoners held in Venezuela faced crushing disappointment Friday when a high-level diplomatic meeting was unexpectedly scrapped.
Javier Giraldo had traveled to an international bridge connecting the two nations, planning to hold up a sign pleading for his father’s freedom during what was supposed to be a face-to-face meeting between Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez.
Instead, Giraldo’s hopes were shattered when both governments suddenly called off the summit Thursday night, citing unexpected circumstances without providing specific reasons.
This marks the third disappointment this year for Giraldo in his quest to free his father. Previous setbacks came after a U.S. military action in January that resulted in former President Nicolás Maduro’s capture, and again when Venezuela’s legislature approved an amnesty measure for mass prisoner releases.
Giraldo’s 70-year-old father, Javier Giraldo García, has been held for four years at El Rodeo III prison in Guatire, located about 22 miles southeast of Caracas. Despite being born in Colombia, the elder Giraldo had resided in Venezuela for 30 years before authorities arrested him in Táchira state on terrorism-related accusations, his son explained.
According to Colombia’s foreign ministry, diplomatic negotiations have led to the gradual release of Colombian detainees from Venezuelan facilities since last year. However, data from Foro Penal, a Venezuela-based prisoners’ rights group, indicates at least eight Colombians and 11 people with dual Colombian-Venezuelan citizenship remain imprisoned.
Family members of those still detained have organized occasional demonstrations.
Ninfa Rebolledo, who participated in Friday’s protest near the Atanasio Girardot Binational Bridge despite the meeting’s cancellation, shared that her son Albeiro Guevara remains optimistic about his upcoming release. She explained he has been incarcerated for more than six years on charges of “aggravated trafficking in transport” — accusations he firmly denies.
“He is under the impression that they were going to bring them over and hand them over right here at the international bridge,” said Rebolledo, who maintains phone contact with her son every two weeks.
Despite expectations, no prisoner exchange or unusual activity occurred at the international crossing between Norte de Santander and Venezuela’s Táchira state following the cancellation of what would have been Petro and Rodríguez’s first in-person encounter.
Both nations released a joint statement late Thursday promising the meeting would be rescheduled for a future date, though no additional specifics were provided.
