There was a strong sense of emotion at Rome’s Ciampino airport as Alberto Trentini and Mario Burlò finally set foot back on Italian soil after more than a year in detention in Venezuela. Their families were waiting for them on the tarmac, ready to embrace them after months of anxiety, silence, and uncertainty.

Trentini was reunited with his mother, Armanda, visibly overwhelmed with relief, while Burlò was able to hold his children, Gianna and Corrado, once again. The two men were briefly greeted by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who welcomed them home before stepping aside to give the families the privacy they had long been longing for.

In a statement read by their lawyer, Alessandra Ballerini, Trentini’s family spoke of a happiness deeply marked by the suffering of the 423 days spent in captivity. Those months cannot be erased, they said, but now the priority is to look ahead and rebuild a calm and meaningful life. They also expressed solidarity with all those who remain behind bars and with their loved ones, hoping they too will soon experience the joy of freedom.

Mario Burlò described how he endured his detention by holding on to the support of friends and to the knowledge that the accusations against him were unfounded. He spoke of a harsh experience, especially on a psychological level, shaped by isolation and the pain of being separated from his children. Despite the physical toll he suffered, returning to Italy felt like being given a second chance. In a moving appeal, he urged parents everywhere to hug their children tightly, reminding everyone that there is nothing more precious than that simple gesture.