(21 Dec 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
POOL
San Antonio - 20 December 2023
1. Freed American Eyvin Hernandez coming out of plane
HEADLINE: Freed Americans back in US after leaving Venezuela
ANNOTATION: Venezuela has freed 10 Americans in a prisoner exchange. Six of them arrived in San Antonio, Texas late Wednesday.
++SOUNDBITE #2 PARTLY COVERED++
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eyvin Hernandez, imprisoned American released from Venezuela:
"I'm incredibly, incredibly grateful, I'm sorry. I can't even speak. I'm incredibly grateful to be home. I'm incredibly grateful to my family, to my friends, the President Biden, for getting me home. We're getting all of us home. And honestly, all you think about when you're in prison is how you didn't appreciate being free while you were free. There's no way to understand what it's like to be in prison unjustly and not have any way out."
3. Various freed Americans leaving plane
4. Freed American Savoi Wright coming out of plane
++SOUNDBITE #5 PARTLY COVERED++
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Savoi Wright, imprisoned American released from Venezuela:
"Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty. Free at last. Very emotional. Exciting. Grateful. So much gratitude for for the moment, for United States of America, for for all of you and for the opportunity to come home."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Caracas, Venezuela - 20 December 2023
6. Various of Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelan President, receiving Saab at the Miraflores presidential Palace
ANNOTATION: The White House announced that a fugitive defense contractor was returned to US custody. The US freed an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
POOL
Washington - 20 December 2023
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Joe Biden, U.S. President:
(Reporter: Why is it ok for the U.S. to be negotiating with Maduro government and sending back people the Justice Department prosecuted?)
BIDEN: "It's ok because it freed American people who have been held illegally and we have made a deal with Venezuela that they'll hold free elections, so far they've maintained the requirement, and that's it."
POOL
San Antonio - 20 December 2023
++SOUNDBITE #8 PARTLY COVERED++
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Savoi Wright, imprisoned American released from Venezuela:
"We were flown to an island where we had to wait about five, 6 hours. A plane was out of gas. There was no AC, sweating. And from what I was told, negotiations were still be made at that point up until then.
Reporter: So you could have been flown right back?
It crossed my mind that period to cross my mind."
9. Various freed prisoners
STORYLINE:
The United States freed a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in exchange for the release of 10 Americans imprisoned in the South American country and the return of a fugitive defense contractor known as “Fat Leonard” who is at the center of a massive Pentagon bribery scandal, the Biden administration announced Wednesday.
The American detainees were back on U.S. soil late Wednesday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said. Six of them arrived at Kelly Airfield Annex in San Antonio.
Savoi Wright, a Californian who had been arrested in Venezuela in October, said, “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, free at last” after disembarking the plane.
The deal represents the Biden administration's boldest move yet to improve relations with the major oil-producing nation and extract concessions from the self-proclaimed socialist leader.
“President Biden, we won’t be anyone’s colony,” a defiant Maduro said with Saab at his side for a hero's welcome at the presidential palace.
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