Tajani Summons Venezuela’s Charg© d’Affaires Over Detention of Italian NGO Worker

Rome: Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote on X Wednesday that he has summoned Venezuela’s charg© d’affaires to protest against the lack of information regarding the detention of Italian NGO worker Alberto Trentini and to protest against the expulsion of three Italian diplomats from Caracas.

According to Ansa News Agency, Tajani expressed strong opposition to the lack of communication concerning Trentini’s detention and the recent expulsion of Italian diplomats from Venezuela. He emphasized Italy’s insistence on Venezuela’s adherence to international laws and the democratic aspirations of its citizens.

On Tuesday, the family of Trentini, who was arrested by Venezuelan authorities on November 15, appealed to the Italian government to engage in all necessary diplomatic actions to secure his release. They reported that Trentini, who is from Venice and has a health condition, was last heard from while traveling to Guasdalito from Caracas.

Trentini had traveled to Venezuela on October 17 as part of a mission with the international NGO Humanity and Inclusion. His family mentioned receiving informal reports suggesting that he was transferred to Caracas shortly after his arrest and is currently detained there without charges.

In a related development, Venezuela announced a reduction in the number of diplomats allowed at the French, Italian, and Dutch embassies, attributing it to the “hostile” reactions of these governments to President Nicolas Maduro’s third-term installation. The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry also stipulated that diplomats would require written authorization for travel beyond 40 kilometers from Plaza Bolivar in central Caracas.