WASHINGTON, May 3 (Reuters) – US citizen Jose Pereira, who was “wrongfully imprisoned” in Venezuela exactly one year ago, stood meters away from the White House on Wednesday and pleaded with US President Joe Biden to step up efforts to bring Americans home. imprisoned in another country.
Pereira was among executives who worked for US refiner Citgo in Venezuela jailed in 2017 on corruption charges. He was released as part of a prisoner exchange between Washington and Caracas in October.
Speaking at an event organized by the “Bring Our Families Home” campaign, an advocacy group formed by families of American citizens imprisoned abroad, the relatives called on Biden to do more to bring home the their loved ones but also prevent “hostage-taking.” ” of foreign governments and groups.
“This has become a national security issue,” Pereira said, adding that Americans are being targeted as hostages rather than being targeted on the battlefield. “This practice is growing and growing and growing. And this practice must stop.”
“Bring Our Families Home” advocates are urging Biden to take steps including more prisoner exchanges and easing sanctions against countries holding US detainees.
The plight of Americans imprisoned abroad came to the fore last year after Russia arrested US basketball star Brittney Griner on drug charges. He was released late last year in a prisoner swap that freed Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in Moscow.
Most recently, Russia detained US citizen and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges, which he denies.
Although the US government does not provide numbers, there are more than 60 Americans abroad who are being held by foreign governments, including top adversaries such as Russia, Iran and Venezuela, according to the James Foley Foundation, which is named after an American journalist kidnapped and killed in Syria.
China is also holding some American citizens on charges that Washington sees as politically motivated.
The Biden administration has conducted two prisoner swaps with Russia and one with Venezuela. It also secured the release of another American, Jeff Woodke, who had been captured by militants in Niger. Woodke met Wednesday with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The families also repeated a call to meet with Biden, a plea that has gone unanswered for many of them in more than a year.
“He needs to meet with these families and somehow call them,” said Joey Reed, the father of Trevor Reed, a former US marine who was imprisoned in Russia and then released in a prisoner swap in April 2022. The release of Reed’s son arrived after meeting in front of the family with Biden.
The prisoner swaps have prompted some criticism over whether they encourage more hostage-taking, an argument the families have vehemently rejected, saying there is no evidence to support that.
“Politics is what keeps our presidents from bringing our people home,” Reed said. “They are afraid of having pushback from the other party.”
Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in Washington Editing by Matthew Lewis
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