Venezuela has reached an agreement with the United States to resume repatriation flights for migrants, President Nicolás Maduro announced in a televised address. The flights are set to commence on Sunday.
Maduro stated, "Thanks to the government's perseverance, we'll resume flights to continue rescuing and freeing migrants from prisons in the United States."
This development follows tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela regarding recent deportation flights of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
As part of the U.S.'s rapid deportation program, hundreds of Venezuelan migrants were sent to a prison in El Salvador. Maduro criticized El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, asserting that migrants have not committed crimes in the U.S. or El Salvador. He insisted on the need to ensure their health and called for their release and return.
El Salvador's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Maduro's announcement followed a statement from Venezuela's Parliament President Jorge Rodríguez, who confirmed the resumption of the flights. The statement emphasized, "Migrating isn't a crime, and we won't rest until everyone who wants to return is back and we rescue our kidnapped brothers in El Salvador."
Families and attorneys have been seeking information about relatives and clients detained in El Salvador, demanding their return to Venezuela. The U.S. has characterized the deportees sent to El Salvador as members of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang, a claim that has been disputed by Venezuela's government.
The Biden administration is now facing a judicial request for more details on the deportations to El Salvador, as U.S. District Judge James Boasberg considers whether officials violated his order temporarily blocking the expulsions.