(Adnkronos) – Foreign minister Antonio Tajani has convened Venezuela’s charge d’affairs to protest the case of an Italian aid worker who has been imprisoned in the South American country without charge since 15 November and the recent expulsion of three Italian diplomats.
“I summoned the charge d’affaires of #Venezuela this morning to protest forcefully the lack of information on the detention of Italian citizen Alberto Trentini and to contest the expulsion of three of our diplomats from Caracas,” Tajani wrote Wednesday on X.
“Italy will continue to ask Venezuela to respect international laws and the democratic will of its people,” the tweet underlined.
On Tuesday, Trentini’s family urged Italy’s government to intervene over his case. Trentini, who works for the Humanity and Inclusion charity was held at a road block together his driver as they headed to the southern city of Guasdalito from Caracas.
Trentino’s family say they have received no official communication from Venezuela’s authorities, that he has not been allowed to speak to anyone since his arrest and lacks medication for a medical condition.
On Tuesday, Venezuela’s foreign ministry announced restrictions on diplomatic staff from Italy, France and the Netherlands, authorising just three diplomats to remain.
The reason for the move by Caracas was “hostile” behaviour by the three countries’ governments over president Nicolas Madur’s (disputed) re-election to a third term of office last year, according to the foreign ministry statement.
