Spaniards freed

Five Spaniards freed from Venezuelan prison, Spanish foreign ministry says

From CNN's Pau Mosquera and Max Saltman

The Spanish Foreign Ministry confirmed Thursday that five Spaniards had been freed in Venezuela’s announced prisoner release.

One of the five has dual citizenship, the ministry said in a statement, and all are preparing to fly to Spain with embassy assistance.

“Spain, which maintains fraternal relations with the Venezuelan people, welcomes this decision as a positive step in the new phase that Venezuela is entering,” the statement continued.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares had earlier said that the release would likely include Spaniards, telling Spanish Public Broadcaster La 2 that freeing Spanish prisoners would be “a very positive step by the new acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, in this new stage that Venezuela is in.”