In a September 2026 interview with Hostage Aid, former unlawful detainee Renzo Huamanchumo reflected on rebuilding his life after captivity in Venezuela and the long process of healing after returning home. He shared that freedom is not the end of the struggle, but the beginning of a difficult journey of recovery, reconnecting with loved ones, and adjusting to a world that continued moving forward while he was gone. Huamanchumo credited his family, friends, and the hope of seeing his loved ones again for helping him endure the hardest moments of detention. He also discussed the importance of continued support for former hostages and wrongful detainees, including mental health care, physical recovery, and financial assistance. Today, Renzo remains committed to speaking out for those still held captive and advocating for the freedom of others around the world.

How are you adjusting to being back home? Many people assume coming home is the end of the struggle. What can you clarify about this misconception?

For me, it has been a very slow process. “Process” is a word that was implanted in my head while I was held captive. Every time I would ask for any help, their answer was this is part of the process you have to wait, but I know now that there was no process, the actual process starts once you come back home.

And once you come back, you realize that you’re held back in time because everything else continued while I was gone, so catching up with feelings, thoughts, and financial situations becomes a very slow process.

Is there anything you felt your family or friends should have done differently while you were captive?

I am blessed that God brought me to a great family because since day one of my kidnapping they knew there was something wrong, and their battle started at the same time as mine. I am thankful for the friends that I have that didn’t turn their back on my family in the time I needed.

Looking back, what helped you get through the toughest moments of your captivity? And what helps you get through the toughest moments after your return?

There were many things that helped me get through the day, sometimes it was the guys around me, my conversations with my cellmate, sometimes the thoughts of my family. My kids there were times that were the thoughts of me standing as I see my wife walking down the aisle, but God was the only one that brought me back to continue fighting and not give up on my life.

And now that I am back home I am still struggling to find myself back to freedom.

Did your ordeal change the way you see life or your priorities? How?

Oh yes, it has changed my whole paradigm on life, It brought me so much closer to God and my faith. It showed me who is really there for me. My priorities were always the same. God, family and country now are just more intense.

How does support of family, friends, or even strangers impact your reintegration?

It has taken out a lot of time for me to realize what my family had done and gone through while I was held hostage, as for me it is still very tough to open up to them to let them know everything that happened to me while being kidnaped.

How do you evaluate the efforts made by your government during your captivity, and how did their actions affect you or your family? What did you find most helpful or lacking?

The day the prison shouted that Donald Trump had won. It was then that there was a chance of me coming back home alive. I believed in my heart that our president was not going to leave us behind because that’s what we as Americans have in our heart. Never leave “ never leave no one behind”. My family has told me that our current administration had gone above and beyond to communicate with them to try to keep them calm as much as possible. My family’s process was painful and lengthy, just as mine. I am beginning to see that mental, physical and financial help could be a bit better.

As a former hostage or wrongful detainee, what do you need most to continue healing and moving forward?

I know that our government has done a lot to bring us back home, but we desperately still need them in so many different ways. A constant help when it comes to mental health, physical attention and financial needs.

Are there new goals, passions, or projects you are inspired to pursue since your return?

At this moment, I am learning that any step forward, no matter how little it is it’s a great thing being able to see my kids again to reunite with my love ones I will say are the biggest ones; to be able to sleep at night for more than 2 hours straight without wondering if I’m going to get pulled out of my cell by a team masked prison would be great small step.

When you reflect on your journey, what keeps you hopeful, and what message would you like to share with other hostages about resilience and moving forward?

I feel that it is unfortunate that the community of wrongful detainees or hostages that are coming back home keeps elevating. I wish people didn’t use the life of a person for an exchange token to put a price on a person, this is inhumane. So they shouldn’t be a community like this, but now that there is, and I am part of it, I know that I am going to continue fighting for all of them to come back home and for this not to happen anywhere around the world.

Everyone should join and fight together to bring the innocent back home.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I want to let my family know that I love them so much. Thank you for not giving up on my life even though I did. I want to thank my president Donald J Trump, Marco Rubio, the White House staff, and everyone that was involved to bring us back home, to my cellmate that is still being held hostage Danilo Arlei Espitia I want him to know that there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of him coming back home like I did. I will continue fighting for his freedom and all of the humans that are still being held captive not just at Rodeo 1 prison in Venezuela, not just foreigners, but for all the innocent citizens around the world that are being held captive, the fight will continue. 

I will continue to fight and advocate for them.

They couldn’t stop me from talking when I was captive and now that I’m out, I won’t stop.

Freedom isn’t free! 

Bring them all back 

Until the End.