“We welcome the release of Joshua & Thamara Holt, who were unjustly imprisoned in #Venezuela. U.S. policy toward Venezuela remains unchanged. We support the Venezuelan people & their efforts to return to democracy. We wish Joshua & his family the best after this difficult period,” Pompeo wrote on his Twitter page on late Saturday.
Earlier that day Venezuelan authorities decided to release Holt and his wife after more than 18 months of detention. US President Donald Trump has already received Holt in the Oval Office. The Mormon missionary was detained in 2016, accused of concealing weapons and sentenced to two years in 2017.
The US-Venezuelan relations have remained tense for years, with Caracas regularly accusing Washington of interfering in its internal affairs and exerting economic and political pressure on Venezuela.