Prime Minister Gaston Browne has publicly thanked Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Minister Raul for facilitating the return of Denise Odelia Charles, an Antiguan woman who had been missing for more than three decades.

“Thank you to Min Raul and President Maduro for assisting with transportation support to repatriate our missing National, Denise Charles, back to Antigua,” Browne wrote on social media.

Charles was reunited with her family on Tuesday in emotional scenes at VC Bird International Airport after spending 32 years and five months in Venezuela. She arrived shortly after 10am aboard a private charter arranged by the Venezuelan government.

Greeting her on the tarmac were Prime Minister Browne, her brother Terrence Charles, and her nephew Tishorn Watson, who had also travelled to Venezuela for the reunion.

Browne, who played a key role in coordinating her return, described the moment as an incredible outcome and commended the family’s unwavering resilience. He said Charles’s story is a powerful reminder for Antiguans and Barbudans to remain hopeful, no matter how much time has passed.

Charles is expected to share more about her journey and the circumstances behind her prolonged absence in the coming weeks.