Barrot hails release of Franco-American tourist in prisoner swap in Venezuela
"I would like to praise the efforts of the US Department of State for helping to secure his freedom," said Barrot on social media.
Hunter, 37, who works in finance in London, was taken into custody in January by Venezuelan security services while travelling along the border with Colombia.
He was freed as part of a deal which brought the release of 10 jailed US citizens and permanent residents in exchange for the return of scores of migrants deported by the US to El Salvador under the American administration's immigration crackdown.
During her campaign to secure her brother's release, Sophie Hunter told the French news agency AFP: "He hasn't done anything wrong. He's not a political activist and he has no military affiliations. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Three way deal
The three-country arrangement represents a diplomatic achievement for the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and helps President Donald Trump in his goal of bringing home Americans jailed abroad and lands Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele a swap that he proposed in April.
'Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and back in our homeland,' said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Bukele said El Salvador had handed over all the Venezuelan nationals in its custody.
Venezuela has a history of detaining American citizens as apparent bargaining chips. Under the administration of Joe Biden, the US negotiated prisoner swaps to bring home a number of Americans who had been wrongfully held in Venezuela. US Special Envoy Ric Grenell travelled to Caracas in January to meet Maduro and secured the release of six Americans who were detained there.
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