Italian humanitarian worker Alberto Trentini and businessman Mario Burlò have been freed from Venezuelan custody after more than 14 months of detention, Italy's government confirmed on January 12, capping weeks of intensive negotiations.

The two men are now at Italy's embassy in Caracas preparing to return home, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced, describing their release as the culmination of complex diplomatic efforts involving multiple governments and institutions.

Their freedom follows Venezuela's January 8 announcement that authorities would release numerous detainees, including foreign citizens, in what officials characterised as a goodwill initiative. The decision came after US military operations resulted in the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro on January 3.

Trentini, a 46-year-old charity worker from Venice, had been imprisoned since November 2024 when authorities detained him with his Venezuelan driver Rafael Machado as they travelled to deliver humanitarian assistance in the country's southwestern region. He had been employed by an NGO providing support to people with disabilities.

Burlò, a 52-year-old entrepreneur from Turin specialising in outsourcing, was also arrested in November 2024. Both men were confined at the notorious El Rodeo I maximum security prison near the capital.

Venezuelan officials never filed formal charges against either man nor provided public explanations for their imprisonment, though unconfirmed reports hinted at trumped-up accusations related to terrorism and conspiracy against the state.

In response to the releases, Rome confirmed plans to enhance its diplomatic presence in Venezuela, upgrading its senior representative from the chargé d'affaires level to full ambassadorial rank, Reuters reported.

Speaking to journalists, Tajani emphasised Venezuela's significance for Italian interests, pointing to the substantial Italian diaspora community there and Italian energy firm Eni's commercial operations in the country.

"What matters now is that they are returning home," the foreign minister stated, projecting their arrival for January 12 evening or early the next day.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed satisfaction with the outcome, acknowledging interim Venezuelan president Delcy Rodríguez "for the constructive cooperation demonstrated in recent days."

Last week saw the release of two additional Italian nationals, journalist Biagio Pilieri and businessman Luigi Gasperin, meaning Italy now has no citizens with exclusively Italian citizenship remaining in Venezuelan prisons, Tajani confirmed. However, 42 individuals holding dual Italian-Venezuelan nationality remain detained, with 24 imprisoned on what the minister termed "political" grounds.

The Trentini family endured 423 days of anguish, initially receiving no information about his location or condition for several weeks following his arrest. Their first direct contact, a telephone call with his mother, occurred only after six months had elapsed.

"These months of imprisonment have left wounds in Alberto and in those of us who love him that will be difficult to heal," the family said in a statement issued on January 12 morning. "Now we will need time to spend in privacy to recover."

The breakthrough followed diplomatic activity across multiple fronts. Sources familiar with the negotiations indicated involvement from Italy's foreign ministry, intelligence agencies, the Vatican, Venezuelan government representatives, and US officials.

Italy's diplomatic posture shifted notably after Maduro's abduction by US forces. At a press conference on January 10, Meloni for the first time acknowledged Rodríguez as a legitimate political counterpart, a recognition Venezuela had long sought but which Rome had previously withheld from Maduro's government, particularly after the disputed July 2024 election.

The Vatican emerged as a significant facilitator, with crucial diplomatic exchanges occurring during October ceremonies in Rome for the canonisation of two Venezuelan saints, where Italian and Venezuelan delegations held discussions.

Spain secured the release of its detained citizens last week, shortly after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez issued statements addressing the US-Venezuela situation, suggesting that diplomatic positioning influenced release decisions.

Human rights organisations and opposition figures have long criticised the Venezuelan regime’s practice of detaining foreign nationals as leverage for political recognition or policy concessions, a tactic commonly termed "hostage diplomacy" employed by authoritarian governments worldwide.