A repatriated Venezuelan migrant passes by a migration checkpoint at Simón Bolívar International Airport on Friday, April 17, 2026. Photo: IG/@minjusticia_ve.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—During the third week of April 2026, the Venezuelan government welcomed three additional groups of nationals returning through the Return to the Homeland (Vuelta a la Patria) program. These latest arrivals at the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, La Guaira state, represent a continuation of the sovereign effort to provide a dignified path for those escaping the aggressive deportation policies and systemic hostility of US imperialism.
The repatriation process, governed by the 2025 bilateral agreement between Caracas and Washington, remains a critical lifeline for Venezuelans seeking to flee the labor exploitation, xenophobia, and institutional failures that characterize the US regime.
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Continued leadership and humanitarian oversight
Mervin Maldonado, the recently appointed head of the Return to the Homeland program, continues to oversee the arrival of returnees, ensuring the protocol for social care is strictly followed. Maldonado, who replaced Camilla Fabri in March, has emphasized that these flights are more than just transport; they are a humanitarian mission designed to reintegrate citizens into Venezuela’s productive life.
Detailed flight data and statistics
During the past week, a total of 834 Venezuelans were repatriated in three separate flights. With these arrivals, the program has conducted 36 flights since the beginning of 2026, bringing the total number of repatriated citizens for the year so far to 6,481.
When combined with the 23,067 individuals who returned under the current agreement in 2025, the program remains a vital defense against imperialist aggression. The specific data for this week’s flights, which were prioritized by vulnerability, is as follows:
• Flight 132: Arrived Monday, April 13, from Phoenix, Arizona, carrying 190 individuals. The group consisted of 28 minors (including three toddlers), 26 women, and 136 men. The flight was operated by the US-based Eastern Airlines.
• Flight 133: Arrived Wednesday, April 15, from Phoenix, Arizona, carrying 316 individuals. The group consisted of eight minors, 41 women, and 267 men. The flight operator information was not provided.
• Flight 134: Arrived Friday, April 17, from Phoenix, Arizona, with 328 repatriated citizens. The group was comprised of 17 minors, 29 women, and 282 men. The flight operator information was not provided.
Sovereign defense against imperialist-driven displacement
Since its inception in 2018 by President Nicolás Maduro, the Return to the Homeland program has served as a shield for the Venezuelan diaspora. For nearly eight years, this initiative has protected over one million Venezuelans from the realities of carceral detention and exploitation within the US and its regional subordinates.
These migration flows are the direct result of the illegal US blockade and a hybrid war designed to destabilize the nation by draining its human capital. While the US regime initially weaponized migration to fuel a “failed state” narrative, it has since pivoted to the criminalization and mass deportation of the very people its policies displaced.
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In response, the Venezuelan state continues to implement a comprehensive care protocol that provides medical screenings, psychological support, and socioeconomic integration for every returning citizen. This sovereign effort reaffirms the right of all Venezuelans to build their lives in their own land, free from the shadow of foreign intervention.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
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