Farnesina

Venezuela, released the Italians Alberto Trentini and Mario Burlò

The announcement by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. "I have spoken with our two compatriots, who are in good condition"

12 January 2026

Alberto Trentini e Mario Burlò fotografati nella residenza dell'ambasciatore a Caracas Giovanni Umberto De Vito. L' annuncio della liberazione è stato dato dal ministro degli Esteri, Antonio Tajani

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Alberto Trentini and Mario Burlò, two of the Italians detained in Venezuelan prisons, have been released. They are in the Italian embassy in Caracas. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has just spoken with them. This was announced by the Farnesina.

"Alberto Trentini and Mario Burlò are free and are in the Italian embassy in Caracas," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced this morning. "I have just communicated this to the President of the Council, Giorgia Meloni, who has always followed the affair personally," Tajani continued in a post published on his X account. "I spoke with our two compatriots, who are in good condition. They will soon return to Italy. Their release is a strong signal from the interim president, Delcy 'Rodriguez, which the Italian government greatly appreciates,' the foreign minister concluded.

In the embassy waiting for a plane to return

Alberto Trentini and Mario Burlò are currently at large in the Italian embassy in Venezuela in Caracas. The two formerly detained Italians were released by decision of the Venezuelan Rodriguez government and will return home on a state plane that has already taken off from Italy to pick them up. The two Italians had a telephone conversation at the embassy with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

Tajani: they are fine, in Italy between tonight and tomorrow morning

'A plane has already left Rome, I believe that between tonight and tomorrow morning Trentini and Burlò will be in our country'. So said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antoni Tajani to the microphones of SkyTg24 after the release of Alberto Trentini and Mario Burlò. "They are well," he added, "I spoke with them as soon as they arrived at the Italian diplomatic headquarters in Caracas, they are very happy of course but I found them upbeat, we are very happy with this result obtained, the result of a great deal of work under the surface in liaison with the family with the direct commitment of the President of the Council.

The Trentini family: it is the news we have been waiting for 423 days, we thank everyone

"Alberto is finally free! This is the news we have been waiting for 423 days! We thank all those who made it possible, even working in invisibility, for his release'. This was stated by the Trentini family, with lawyer Alessandra Ballerini. "All these months of imprisonment have left in Alberto and in us who love him wounds that are difficult to heal, now we will need time to spend in intimacy to recover. We thank everyone for being close to us, but we ask you to respect our silence and confidentiality. There will be time to find the right words to tell the facts and ascertain responsibility. Today we only want peace. Thank you!" add the Trentini.

Burlò's lawyers: significant success

'We are very happy about the end of Mario Burlò's detention. Mario has already been able to hear his daughter and reassured of his health condition. Also on behalf of his family members, we would like to thank the diplomatic institutions that in recent months have never stopped working for the release of our compatriots, keeping us constantly updated'. Thus the lawyers Benedetto Buratti and Maurizio Basile after the release of Mario Burlò from Turin. "This success is all the more significant given the socio-political framework of Venezuela and its relations with Italy," the two criminal lawyers emphasise.

Meloni thanks the authorities in Caracas

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed 'joy and satisfaction' at the release of Alberto Trentini and Mario Burlò. 'On behalf of the Italian government,' Meloni added, 'I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the authorities in Caracas, starting with resident Rodriguez, for the constructive cooperation shown in recent days, and to all the institutions and people in Italy who have worked with commitment and discretion to achieve this important result,' she concluded.