MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Released Argentine gendarme alleges “psychological torture” at Venezuela’s Rodeo I prison

Gallo avoided describing detention conditions in detail: “Rodeo I is not a very good place—it’s a place of considerable psychological torture, not pleasant to talk about”

Nahuel Gallo, the Argentine gendarme freed after 448 days in detention in Venezuela, urged the release of “24 foreign nationals” he said remain imprisoned at the Rodeo I facility and asked for time before detailing what he endured during captivity. “Until they release those 24 foreign nationals, I’m not free,” he said in a short statement to reporters, without taking questions.

Gallo spoke at the Edificio Centinela, the Argentine Gendarmerie’s headquarters in Buenos Aires’ Retiro district, in an appearance that lasted only a few minutes. He was escorted by Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva, Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, and Gendarmerie chief Claudio Brilloni, according to local coverage of the event.

Visibly emotional, Gallo avoided describing detention conditions in detail but offered an initial account of the facility where he was held. “Rodeo I is not a very good place—it’s a place of considerable psychological torture, not pleasant to talk about,” he said, adding he was not yet ready to recount the “atrocities” he alleged occurred there.

Gallo thanked the Argentine state and those involved in efforts linked to his return, while saying he did not want to single out individuals at this stage. He also spoke about the personal toll of confinement and credited his family with helping him endure the ordeal. “My son was the only thing that kept me strong,” he said.

His statement came days after his release and departure from Venezuela, which the Argentine government confirmed. Gallo—an Argentine gendarme—had been freed after being detained since late 2024, in a case that escalated tensions between Buenos Aires and Caracas.

Officials accompanying Gallo framed the matter as ongoing, while Gallo stressed that his sense of freedom remains tied to the fate of the foreigners he says are still held at Rodeo I. He also called on the public and the international community not to “forget Venezuela,” urging sustained attention to the remaining detainees.