Venezuela to Resume Accepting Deportation Flights from the U.S.
In a significant development regarding immigration policies, Venezuela has agreed to restart accepting deported citizens from the United States. This move marks a notable shift in the country’s recent stance.
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Jorge Rodríguez, leading the National Assembly in Venezuela, announced on Saturday that repatriation flights would resume as early as Sunday. In a social media post, he emphasized that “Migration is not a crime.”
Rodríguez has been actively negotiating with U.S. officials, asserting that Venezuelan authorities are committed to ensuring the safe return of their citizens. Despite this announcement, the White House has yet to respond to inquiries from NPR.
Earlier in March, the deportation of Venezuelans to El Salvador drew attention when former President Trump utilized the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, purportedly targeting alleged members of a Venezuelan prison gang. This action resulted in the deportation of 238 individuals, which is currently under the scrutiny of a federal judge. Of these, 137 were deported under the Alien Enemies Act, and 101 under standard immigration protocols.
President Nicolás Maduro has demanded the return of those Venezuelans sent to El Salvador, where President Nayib Bukele stated they were placed in a mega-prison known as CECOT. Maduro described these deportations as kidnappings, and families of the deported have challenged the allegations of gang affiliations.
The decision to halt repatriation flights on March 8 followed Trump’s announcement to revoke a permit allowing Chevron to extract and export Venezuelan oil, impacting the nation’s significant revenue source. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned of “new, severe, and escalating sanctions” unless Venezuela resumed accepting deported migrants.
Additional reporting by Carrie Kahn from Rio de Janeiro.
