Venezuela resumes repatriation flights with the US
Venezuela will once again accept repatriation flights from the USA, carrying deported citizens, after reaching an agreement with the American government. This information was shared by Jorge Rodríguez, the President of the National Assembly of Venezuela, on social media.
Jorge Rodríguez announced that Venezuela agreed to resume the repatriation of Venezuelan migrants, with the first flight scheduled for Sunday. "We have agreed with the U.S. government to resume the repatriation of Venezuelan migrants with an initial flight tomorrow, Sunday," said Rodríguez.
The decision to resume flights came after President Nicolás Maduro suspended them on 8th March, in response to the US Treasury Department's decision to withdraw Chevron's licence to export Venezuelan oil.
Protection of human rights
Rodríguez emphasised that the agreement with the USA aims to ensure the return of Venezuelan citizens with respect for their human rights. Venezuela accepted the agreement to guarantee "the return of our compatriots to their nation with the safeguard of their Human Rights," he noted.
In his statement, Rodríguez also referred to the deportation of about 250 Venezuelans to a high-security prison in El Salvador by the Trump administration. "Migration isn’t a crime, and we will not rest until we achieve the return of all of those in need and rescue our brothers kidnapped in El Salvador," he added.
Controversies surrounding deportation
The Trump administration claimed that the deported individuals were members of the Tren de Aragua gang, which was recognised by the US State Department as a foreign terrorist organisation. However, no evidence was presented that those deported committed any crimes in the USA.
In the past, Venezuela refused to accept immigrants deported from the USA, and the number of deportations significantly increased since Trump took office. In recent weeks, about 350 people were deported, including 180 who spent up to 16 days at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
