Venezuela released 18 Colombians on Friday (October 24) after months-long negotiations with the government of Gustavo Petro, in an emotional encounter with their loved ones at a bridge on the northern border.

Families rushed to hug the Colombians who were released at an international bridge between the two countries in Norte de Santander, accompanied by Colombia's Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio.

Villavicencio said there were some fellow nationals still detained in Venezuela and that her administration would continue talks with President Nicolas Maduro's government to set them free.

The diplomat also said the Colombians released did not have any judicial proceedings in Venezuela, according to a statement.

Among the detainees still held in Venezuela, estimated at more than 40 in total, there is an employee of the Danish Refugee Council, who was detained in September 2024.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

CUCUTA, NORTE DE SANTANDER, COLOMBIA (OCTOBER 24, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. COLOMBIAN RELEASED FROM VENEZUELAN PRISON HUGGING FAMILY MEMBER, CRYING

2. FAMILIES GATHERING AROUND VAN TRANSPORTING FREED PRISONERS

3. RELATIVES CRYING AND HUGGING COLOMBIAN RELEASED FROM VENEZUELA

CUCUTA, NORTE DE SANTANDER, COLOMBIA (OCTOBER 24, 2025) (COLOMBIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY – Access all)

4. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) COLOMBIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, ROSA VILLAVICENCIO, SAYING:

“Today we’ve received the 18 detainees without a process in Venezuela that were freed, 17 men and one woman, here in (Ed's note: the international bridge of) Tienditas, at the border. Now we’re on the Colombian side doing the triage and talking to them, listening their testimonies.”

5. (MUTE) RELATIVES WALKING TOWARD IMMIGRATION OFFICE BEFORE BEING REUNITED WITH THEIR LIBERATED LOVED ONES

6. (MUTE) RELATIVES TALKING TO VILLAVICENCIO

7. (MUTE) FAMILIES OF FREED COLOMBIANS CLIMBING STAIRS

8. (MUTE) VILLAVICENCIO TALKING TO RELATIVES

9. (MUTE) RELATIVES OF COLOMBIANS FREED FROM VENEZUELAN PRISON, CRYING

10. (MUTE) MINISTER WALKING TOWARD VENEZUELAN SIDE

CUCUTA, NORTE DE SANTANDER, COLOMBIA (OCTOBER 24, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LIBERATED COLOMBIAN, IGNACIO MONA, SAYING:

“They brought me to a DGCIM (General Directorate of Military Counter-intelligence) but it was to pretend they were about to release us, but it was a lie. When they blindfold us and handcuff us, they brought us to a maximum security prison. They left us there without any way out—no patios, no calls, anything.”

12. RELATIVE HUGGING COLOMBIAN WHO WAS HELD IN VENEZUELA

13. DAUGHTER OF COLOMBIAN WHO WAS HELD IN VENEZUELA, JHOSMERY KAMILA VILLAN, LAUGHING NEXT TO HER FATHER

14. RELATIVES VIDEO CALLING THEIR LOVED ONE

15. VILLAN WALKING WITH HER FATHER

16. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DAUGHTER OF COLOMBIAN WHO WAS HELD IN VENEZUELA, JHOSMERY KAMILA VILLAN, SAYING:

“I’m happy, super happy, after 10 months I could finally see him and hug him, which is what I wanted most. Finally he’s free. I’m so happy. Happiness makes me cry because it’s what I prayed for most. He’s such a good person, so cheerful, I could see him and hug him, and be with him again and share time as a father and daughter.”

17. RELATIVES HUGGING THEIR LOVED ONE AFTER HIS RELEASE

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (OCTOBER 24, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

18. CHIEF OF DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL, YANN CORNIC, SPEAKING

19. SIGN OF THE DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL

20. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LATAM DIRECTOR OF THE DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL, YANN CORNIC, SAYING:

“We definitely asked, as we did months ago, we asked for his immediate release. We are asking the government of Colombia to make it as soon as possible so that he can join his family, who are in extreme, high pain for more than a year.” (REFERRING TO: Manuel Tique, an employee of the Danish Refugee Council still held in Venezuela)

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (FILE - AUGUST 27, 2025) (DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL – Must on-screen courtesy Danish Refugee Council / No resale).

21. SISTER OF MANUEL TIQUE, A DETAINEE IN VENEZUELA WHO WORKED FOR THE DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL, SHOWING PHOTOGRAPHS OF HER BROTHER

22. FRAMED PHOTOGRAPH OF TIQUE AND HIS SISTER

CUCUTA, NORTE DE SANTANDER, COLOMBIA (OCTOBER 24, 2025) (COLOMBIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY – Access all)

23. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) COLOMBIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, ROSA VILLAVICENCIO, SAYING:

“There are some detainees yet, their relatives have come here. We have talked to them and, as usual in the government of Gustavo Petro, the priority are our fellow nationals, their human rights. We will continue with the diplomatic negotiations with Venezuela so that the rest of the people who are still without freedom and don’t have any charge be freed.”

CUCUTA, NORTE DE SANTANDER, COLOMBIA (OCTOBER 24, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

24. VARIOUS OF RELATIVES HUGGING COLOMBIANS RELEASED FROM VENEZUELA

25. RELATIVES AROUND COLOMBIAN RELEASED FROM VENEZUELA