Released Argentine Officer Calls for Freedom of Foreign Prisoners in Venezuela

An Argentine military police officer who spent over a year imprisoned in Venezuela is speaking out about his ordeal. Nahuel Gallo was freed last Sunday after 448 days behind bars and is now calling for the release of 24 other foreign nationals still detained.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — An Argentine military police officer who endured more than a year of imprisonment in Venezuela is calling on world leaders to help free two dozen foreign prisoners who remain locked up in the notorious Rodeo I facility.

Nahuel Gallo, who walked free this past Sunday following 448 days of captivity in a detention center near Caracas, spoke at a press conference Wednesday in Buenos Aires, declaring that his own liberation feels incomplete while 24 other international detainees remain behind bars.

“My mind is still in prison,” Gallo stated during the media event, which included appearances by several top Argentine officials. Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno expressed gratitude to allied nations such as the United States, Italy and Israel for their assistance in securing Gallo’s freedom.

The military officer was taken into custody on December 8, 2024, while on personal leave to see family members. Gallo, who had been serving in Argentina’s central Mendoza province, faced espionage allegations, according to statements from Argentina’s Foreign Ministry.

At the time of his arrest, Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab claimed Gallo “had attempted to enter Venezuelan territory irregularly” and was “concealing his true criminal plan under the guise of a romantic visit.”

Saab further alleged connections between the officer and “international far-right groups.”

Argentine officials countered these claims, stating that Gallo had made the trip to see his Venezuelan partner and their child together.

Earlier on Wednesday, before the press briefing took place, an Argentine federal judge called upon Gallo to provide testimony in proceedings examining potential crimes against humanity linked to former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s administration.

“Gallo could contribute his knowledge of the events under investigation, which were reported to have been carried out by the Venezuelan state apparatus,” read the court summons from Argentine Judge Sebastián Ramos, which The Associated Press obtained.

During his public appearance, Gallo made no reference to the legal summons and did not indicate his intentions regarding potential testimony. He instead asked reporters for time and understanding, explaining that he remains unprepared to share the full extent of his experiences.

“I still can’t talk about the atrocities they committed,” Gallo said.