Venezuela Frees Oil Expert Whose Detention Raised Red Flags (1)

Venezuela has released a prominent oil consultant who also has US citizenship after four days in detention, a case that highlights the country’s persistent risks as the Washington-backed administration in Caracas seeks to revive the petroleum industry.

Evanan Romero, 86, is a Venezuelan-born, Houston-based consultant for international oil companies and advises opposition leader María Corina Machado.

Romero was released Tuesday following his arrest in the western city of Maracaibo on Friday, according to people who requested anonymity to discuss private matters. He had been moved to a private clinic in the city as a health precaution. But he had ...