In Caracas, Venezuela, the country will once again accept repatriation flights from the United States carrying its deported nationals, following a negotiated agreement with the U.S. The Venezuelan government suspended these flights on March 8, following the U.S. Treasury Department’s revocation of Chevron’s license to export Venezuelan oil.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s chief negotiator with the U.S., Jorge Rodríguez, announced that the government has reached a deal with the U.S. to restart repatriation flights. The first flight, scheduled for Sunday, aims to bring back Venezuelan migrants while ensuring their human rights are safeguarded. Rodríguez also condemned the U.S. government’s deportation of more than 250 Venezuelans to a high-security prison in El Salvador, claiming they were not criminals and that efforts will not stop until all those in need have returned.
Maduro later confirmed the decision during a public event, stating that flights will be resumed to rescue and release migrants from U.S. prisons. He additionally mentioned holding El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele responsible for the well-being and release of the deported Venezuelans.
However, Donald Trump has accused the deportees of being members of the Tren de Aragua gang, labeling them an invading force and invoking the Alien Enemies Act to justify their deportations. This move was met with objections, and a federal judge issued a temporary order to halt the deportations, although flights were already in progress. Trump’s administration has not provided evidence linking the deportees to Tren de Aragua or any criminal activity in the U.S.
Tren de Aragua, designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State, originated in a Venezuelan prison. The group has accompanied millions of Venezuelan emigrants, mainly those seeking better living conditions due to their country’s economic collapse.
Recently, around 350 individuals have been deported to Venezuela, including approximately 180 who spent up to 16 days at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Trump administration claims these deportees are Tren de Aragua members, yet little evidence supports this assertion.
Source: https://time.com/7270864/venezuela-to-resume-repatriation-of-migrants-after-deal-with-us/
