Venezuela announced the resumption of Repatriation flights of citizens deported from USA.
This occurs after a month of suspension amid mutual accusations between both governments about breach of the migration agreement signed in January.
The Trump government recently deported 238 Venezuelans to Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT)a maximum security prison in El Salvadoraction that the president Nicolás Maduro He described as a “kidnapping.”
This fact could have motivated the Venezuelan government to resume the reception of repatriated from USA.
Diplomatic tension and sanctions
The process of Deportation of Venezuelans It has been a friction point with the administration of the former president Donald Trumpwhich in retaliation revoked the license that allowed the American oil company to be operated in Venezuela Chevron.
For its part, the Venezuelan government denounced that the State Department I was blocking repatriation flights.
“We have agreed with the US government. The resumption of the Repatriation of Venezuelan migrantswith an initial flight this Sunday, March 23, “he said in a statement Jorge Rodríguezpresident of the National Assembly and head of the Venezuelan government.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries broke in 2019, when the government of Trump imposed a Petroleum embargo to Venezuela after ignoring Maduro’s re -election in 2018.
Washington also did not recognize his proclamation for a third term after the elections last July, in which the opposition denounced fraud.
Accusations about the Aragua train
The US government argues that Venezuelans deported to El Salvador They are part of the gang Aragua traindeclared terrorist organization by the administration of Trump.
However, Maduro rejects these accusations and denounces a campaign to criminalize migrants.
“Thanks to the perseverance of our government, we resume the flights to follow rescuing and releasing migrants of the US prisons.
We are going to rescue a group of boys tomorrow and in the coming weeks, “he said Ripe.
Migration and new US measures.
The US president used a law of 1798 to justify the deportation of Venezuelans to El Salvadora regulation that the government of Ripe described as “anachronics.”
Even the president Trump He denied having signed the order, suggesting that his secretary of state, Marco Rubiohe was responsible.
In addition, the US government announced that it will revoke the legal status of some 532 thousand migrants of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who entered under the program CHNVimplemented in 2023 by Joe Biden.
Those affected will lose their legal protection 30 days after the publication of the order in the Federal Registry.
Since February, approximately 900 Venezuelans They have been repatriated, including 400 from the US. And the rest from Mexico.
The Venezuelan government reaffirmed its commitment to migrants and rejected arbitrary deportations: “Migrating is not a crimeand we will not rest until the return of all those who require it. ”
Relatives of those deported to El Salvador They assured that these migrants had deportation order to Venezuelabut they were transferred under deception to CECOT.
“We will rescue the kidnapped boys, missing without having committed crimes or in the US or in El Salvador,” he said Ripe during an official act in La Guaira.