The US resumed deportation flights to Venezuela, with 199 Venezuelans arriving in Caracas after weeks of halted repatriations. The agreement follows tensions over oil sanctions and aims to address the issue of undocumented migrants.
US and Venezuela Resume Deportation Flights Amid Tensions
US and Venezuela Resume Deportation Flights Amid Tensions
A flight of deported Venezuelans lands in Caracas after an agreement to restart repatriation flights following a diplomatic dispute.
A flight carrying 199 Venezuelans deported from the United States has successfully landed at Simón Bolívar airport near Caracas, marking the resumption of repatriation flights that had previously ground to a halt. This administrative pause followed a licensing dispute involving the Trump administration, which had revoked a permit for Venezuela to sell oil to the US amidst a backdrop of sanctions.
On Saturday, the two nations, despite their lack of diplomatic relations, reached an agreement to restart these flights. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro welcomed the program, referring to it as an opportunity to "rescue and free migrants from prisons in the US." The recent deportees disembarked early Monday, some celebrating their return with raised arms and joyous expressions.
Before the flight, the undocumented individuals had been transferred from Texas to Honduras before flying with Venezuelan airline Conviasa to Maiquetía, just north of Caracas. The US Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs labeled them as "illegal aliens" with no legal grounds to stay in the United States. However, the head of Venezuela's National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, argued that migration should not be criminalized.
This resumed repatriation deal was initially established by Trump’s special envoy, Richard Grenell, in January of the same year, indicating a significant priority for the Trump administration to deport undocumented migrants. However, Maduro had earlier communicated concerns regarding the US government’s revocation of oil giant Chevron’s license to operate in Venezuela, suggesting this had disrupted previously established communication channels for resolving deportation matters.
In a stark shift of events, a week following the suspension of flights, the US deported 238 Venezuelans to a notorious prison in El Salvador, allegedly because they were linked to the Tren de Aragua criminal gang—an assertion that stirred significant backlash in Venezuela. Families of the deportees protested, asserting that their loved ones had been wrongly accused.
After the United States warned of potential sanctions against Venezuela for not accepting deported citizens, Maduro intensified efforts to secure return flights for those housed in detention. The ongoing situation reflects the complexities and heightened tensions surrounding US-Venezuela relations while addressing the ongoing migration crisis.
