WASHINGTON - Seven Americans who had been held captive in Venezuela for years were on their way home on Saturday after US President Joe Biden agreed to grant clemency to two nephews of Cilia Flores, Venezuela's first lady, officials said.
For Biden, freeing seven Americans, some of whom had been held for years in Venezuelan prison, was part of an aggressive push to accelerate such homecomings - an effort that has drawn some criticism for the president's willingness to exchange convicted criminals. Officials declined to say whether the prisoner swap represented a thaw in the strained relationship between the US and the Maduro-led government in Venezuela.
But Biden welcomed home the Americans: Jorge Toledo, Tomeu Vadell, Alirio Zambrano, Jose Luis Zambrano, Jose Pereira, Matthew Heath and Osman Khan. The Venezuela announcement had been months in the making, according to senior administration officials, and had been approved by Biden several weeks ago, setting in motion a series of logistical conversations between officials in both countries.
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