Czech man held in Venezuela released after long legal limbo

After several weeks of intensive negotiations, Czech diplomacy has secured the release of Czech national Jan Darmovzal from detention in Venezuela. Foreign Minister Petr Macinka announced the breakthrough alongside Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. Darmovzal was freed overnight and is in a satisfactory condition in Caracas, with a Czech aircraft being dispatched to bring him home. Venezuelan authorities detained him in September 2024, accusing him of involvement in an alleged plot against President Nicolás Maduro. Prague rejected the claims as unfounded. The NGO Foro Penal described Darmovzal as a politically motivated detainee.