Houston, Texas – The first flight carrying Venezuelan migrants deported from the United States landed in Venezuela early Monday after the two governments reached an agreement to resume repatriation flights.
The flight transported nearly 200 deportees, who arrived at an airport just north of the capital Caracas. Videos of the arrival showed some deportees celebrating, while others made the sign of the cross as they disembarked onto the tarmac where security staff was present.
Repatriations to Venezuela had been on hold due to the Trump administration’s decision in February to revoke a license allowing Chevron to operate in the country. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had expressed concerns about the impact of this decision on repatriation flights.
Following growing outrage in Venezuela over the US deporting Venezuelans to El Salvador, an agreement was reached to resume repatriations. The resumption of flights follows Venezuela’s National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez Gómez’s announcement of the decision.
Honduras played a significant role in the deportation process, with Honduran President Castro and her government partnering with the US to combat illegal immigration. The deportees were transferred to a Venezuelan-flagged vessel bound for the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
The White House has remained silent on the recent deportation flight, as Maduro ordered an increase in the number of flights needed to repatriate Venezuelan migrants detained in the US. The situation has sparked discussions on migration policies and the treatment of deportees in both countries.