I am very moved I am back in Italy after five years in prison. It has been a very long, difficult and painful experience, especially for my family and also because of the health problems I have suffered over the years. However, a solution has been found. I would like to thank my family, my wife and my sister, who have always been close to me,' he added, 'and given me the support I needed to get to this point. Above all, I would like to thank Professor Gianni La Bella of the Community of Sant'Egidio for his intervention, for his formidable efforts in reaching an agreement and securing my release.'
Alfredo Schiavo, the 67-year-old Italian-Venezuelan entrepreneur who was released after spending more than five years in prison in Caracas, said this as soon as he landed at Fiumicino airport, where he was greeted with great enthusiasm. He arrived in Italy this evening. These long years took a heavy toll on him physically, but he wanted to express his gratitude in a faint voice.
‘There was support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the embassy and the participation of the governor of Carabobo, Rafael La Cava, and of course, in the end, from President Maduro, who granted me a pardon. My thanks to all of them,’ he added. 'We are happy, now he will be able to receive treatment in Italy,' said his wife.
'The mediation was complicated,’ explained Gianni La Bella of the Community of Sant'Egidio, which, in collaboration with Italian institutions, mediated for the release of the Italian-Venezuelan businessman, ‘because the country is much more complicated than we think: it is, in some ways, the very heart of South America. Schiavo's personal story is also a complex one, but I believe that this gesture should be seen as a sign of the Venezuelan government's desire for openness and dialogue, especially given the recent death of Pope Francis. The Pope was particularly revered and his illness and funeral were widely followed. Our country must take this into account for the other people who are still detained.
