Panama's President José Raúl Mulino expressed his hope for the swift release of a detained compatriot. 'I hope they soon release our compatriot who is detained. We cannot forget him,' Mulino wrote on X. Meanwhile, Venezuela announced the release of a group of prisoners, including foreigners and Venezuelans, as a 'unilateral gesture for peace' following the U.S. operation that captured President Nicolás Maduro. Panama's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that it is conducting diplomatic and multilateral efforts to secure the release of Olmedo Javier Núñez Penalba, who has been detained for over seven months, and that the case is a priority in the country's international relations. According to authorities, Núñez was arrested on June 13 on a Panamanian vessel intercepted in Venezuela's exclusive economic zone on charges of espionage. The crew included nine people of various nationalities, including Dutch, Honduran, Spanish, Indonesian, one Hungarian, and one Panamanian. The case has been elevated to international bodies such as the IMO, ILO, UN Security Council, and OAS, but a second consular visit with Núñez has not yet been authorized.
