President Emmanuel Macron of France announced on Sunday that Camilo Castro, a French national who had been detained in Venezuela since late June, has been released.

Castro, a 41-year-old yoga teacher from Colombia, disappeared at the Paraguachon border crossing between Venezuela and Colombia on June 26 while attempting to renew his Colombian residency visa.

His family raised concerns after they received no news of him other than a voice message he left in late July.

Research conducted by Castro's family and Amnesty International suggested that he was being held by Venezuelan authorities, prompting the human rights organization to denounce what it described as a policy of enforced disappearances targeting opponents and foreign nationals since President Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner of a disputed election in July 2024.

Amnesty International accused the Venezuelan government of using such practices to justify narratives about 'foreign conspiracies' and to leverage in negotiations with other countries.

The release of Castro comes amid international scrutiny of Venezuela's human rights record, highlighting ongoing concerns over the country's approach to dissent and its relations with foreign nationals.