ROME - Following the release of Cecilia Sala due to succesful government intervention, the family of Alberto Trentini, an Italian aid-worker who was arrested on unknown charges in Venezuela, have appealed to the Italian government to intervene on his behalf. He has not been heard from since Nov.15. In a statement from his lawyer, Alessandra Ballerini, they were pleading the government to use all possible diplomatic channels to open a constructive dialogue with the Venezuelan police to repatriate Alberto and guarantee his safety. 

 Trentini found himself in Venezuela on a mission with O.N.G. Humanity and Inclusion to provide humanitarian aid for disabled people in the country.

 He arrived on Oct. 17 going from Caracas to Guasdalito, where he was stopped at a check-point together with the driver from O.N.G. 

 From the scarce information available it would appear that Trentini was transferred back to Caracas a few days after his arrested where he was being held as a ‘prisoner’ in a detention centre, without the ability to formally contest anything ever since. 

 According to his lawyer there has been no formal communication with either Venezuelan or Italian authorities and no-one has heard anything from or about him for nearly two months.

 This is especially concerning as Sig. Trentini suffers from health problems and his family do not know whether he has access to medicine or even basic necessities. 

 Even the Italian ambassador to Venezuela has been unable to communicate with Trentini, despite having attempted contact multiple times. 

 The family have stated that they find it ‘unacceptable that Italian citizens who go to work or visit other countries with the singular intention to aid and better living conditions for residents of those countries, could be deprived of their freedom and fundamental human rights without being able to receive effective protection from their own country.’ 

 The statement from Ballerini concludes that Prime Minister Meloni and her ministers have many the same sentiments as the family and would like to see Alberto returned safely at once.

 The Italian embassy in Caracas is in direct communication with the Italian government and they are both following the story of Trentini’s arrest with the upmost concern and are in close contact with the family. 

 The embassy has been incessantly contacting the various different channels of authority in Venezuela to no avail, with the interim head of affairs being called to Rome on Dec. 13 to request a decisive intervention in the Trentini affair. 

 O.N.G. Humanity and Inclusion confirmed that the last communication they received about Trentini was after arrest and they were still unaware of his current location or the motive for his arrest, irrespective of this they were ‘mobilizing’ to aid the situation. At this precise moment they have no further comments. 

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