PARIS: A French citizen who has been detained in Venezuela since late June has been released, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday.
“Camilo Castro is free. I share the relief of his family and thank everyone who worked for his release,” the head of state wrote on the social media platform X.
Castro, a 41-year-old yoga teacher, disappeared on June 26 at the Paraguachon border crossing, which separates Venezuela from Colombia, where he lives.
He had gone to renew his expired Colombian residency visa, his family said in August.
In mid-September, Castro’s mother said she had not received any news from him other than a voice message at the end of July in which he “called for help.”
According to research conducted by his family and Amnesty International, he was being held by the Venezuelan authorities.
Amnesty has denounced what it said was a policy of “enforced disappearances” of opponents and foreign nationals since the electoral authorities declared President Nicolas Maduro winner of a disputed vote in July 2024.
“The Venezuelan authorities appear to be using this practice to justify their narratives about ‘foreign conspiracies’ and as a bargaining chip for use in negotiations with other countries,” it wrote in a report published in July.
Macron: French national held in Venezuela released
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Macron: French national held in Venezuela released
- Camilo Castro, a 41-year-old yoga teacher, disappeared on June 26 at the Paraguachon border crossing
At least three dead as migrant boat capsizes off Greek island
- An accident occurred when the vessel approached the migrants’ wooden boat
- The search for survivors was continuing with four patrol boats
ATHENS: The bodies of three migrants were picked up in waters off the Greek island of Crete during a rescue effort involving a commercial ship, authorities said Friday.
Twenty migrants were rescued by the commercial vessel which was directed to the area on the orders of the Greek Search and Rescue Center.
According to Greek public broadcaster ERT, an accident occurred when the vessel approached the migrants’ wooden boat. As the passengers tried to climb up ladders into the vessel a sudden movement caused the small boat to capsize.
The search for survivors was continuing with four patrol boats, an aircraft, and two ships from the European border agency Frontex, a spokesperson for the Greek coast guard told AFP.
According to ERT, survivors said about 50 people were aboard the wooden boat.
A second boat carrying around forty migrants was spotted in the area, triggering another rescue operation.
For over a year, migrants have been attempting the perilous crossing from Libya to Crete, the gateway to the European Union.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 16,770 people seeking asylum in the EU arrived in Crete in 2025.
Faced with the surge in arrivals, the conservative Greek government suspended the processing of asylum applications for three months last summer, particularly for those arriving from Libya.
UNHCR says 107 people died or went missing in Greek waters in 2025.
