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Eight months after his arrest in Venezuela on terrorism and conspiracy charges, the mother of Alberto Trentini—an Italian aid worker jailed in Caracas—has issued a fresh plea for his freedom while sharply criticizing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s silence.
“*My son has been imprisoned for 240 days*,” declared Armanda Trentini, her voice choked with tears, during a sit-in outside Rome’s courthouse ahead of a hearing in the Regeni murder case. “*But everything remains silent, including our Prime Minister.*”
Standing before a green banner bearing her son’s image, Trentini detailed the anguish her family has endured: “*This silence is unbearable. Our government must act, just as Switzerland did for my son’s cellmate, who was recently freed and exposed the horrific detention conditions Alberto still faces.*” She urgently called on Italian institutions to “*employ every diplomatic tool available*” to secure his release, stressing, “*Every day of inaction means unspeakable suffering. Eight months is too long.*”
Democratic Party (PD) Secretary Elly Schlein, present at the protest, echoed the demand: “*We continue to urge every effort to free Alberto, whose only ‘crime’ is generosity. This silence cannot persist—the government must act concretely.*”
Don Luigi Ciotti, founder of the anti-mafia group Libera, condemned the handling of the case: “*There’s been too much silence, too much caution, and above all, too much ambiguity. Alberto carries no guilt—only a commitment to human rights.*”
Trentini, an employee of the NGO Humanity & Inclusion, was arrested at a checkpoint on November 15 while en route from Caracas to Guasdualito for humanitarian work. After months without contact, he briefly spoke to relatives on May 16, claiming good health and regular access to medication. The Italian Foreign Ministry confirms he remains detained in El Rodeo I prison, 30 km from Caracas.
Schlein reiterated: “*Switzerland secured his cellmate’s release—why not Alberto? This intolerable situation demands immediate government engagement.*”