On the instructions of Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs Maria Tripodi today received at the Italian Foreign Ministry Marinellys Tremamunno, the legal representative of a number of Italian citizens detained in Venezuela for political reasons.
During the meeting, the Undersecretary reiterated how the Italian Foreign Ministry and the Italian Embassy and Consulate Offices were offering every possible support to Italian nationals who had been arrested or detained for political reasons, including following last July’s elections, and to their families, raising awareness among the local authorities of the need for consular visits to ascertain the prisoners’ detention and health conditions. Tripodi also referred to the meeting held two weeks earlier with the Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Venezuela in Rome, during which the Italian Government’s request for the release of all political prisoners was reiterated.
The Italian Foreign Ministry, the Embassy in Caracas and the Italian consular network in Venezuela are committed to protecting and assisting the community of Italians residing in the country, including through a permanent “task force” specifically set up at the request of Minister Tajani.