Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro holding rescued baby Maykelis Espinoza during his program Con Maduro+. Caracas, Monday, July 21, 2025. Photo: Venezuela's Presidential Press.
During a broadcast of the program Con Maduro+, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro recalled that the United States government is currently holding 29 Venezuelan children hostage. He said that he will not rest until they are returned to their families.
“There are still 29 Venezuelan children being held in the US whom we are actively seeking. This operation will continue until all of them are returned,” said President Maduro, while highlighting the US government’s prior commitment to returning them.
However, he condemned the situation, calling it a kidnapping: “There is no explanation, no excuse, no reason to kidnap a child.” He reiterated his government’s unwavering commitment: “We will not rest for a second until all of them are here, healthy, happy, in the arms of their parents.”
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Parental authority
The head of state denounced the US for violating the right to parental authority by separating children from their parents, who have been arbitrarily deported by immigration authorities. “The US government takes sons and daughters from their parents without justification. Who exercises parental authority there?” he questioned.
He took the opportunity to contrast this situation with the reality of Venezuela, where parental authority is guaranteed and exercised jointly by both parents, “a principle respected in all states governed by the rule of law around the world.” He added that parental authority is a “sacred right, and no state should take a child away from their parents or decide on their custody before the family.”
President Maduro compared the situation to practices from the era of “slavery and feudalism,” recalling that “children used to belong to the owner of the estate. Today, in the United States, the state acts as if it had that power.”
He recalled that in 2000, opposition groups carried out a false campaign against former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, accusing him of wanting to take children away from their parents. He therefore did not hesitate to deny this campaign and call it a “lie” intended to confuse the people.
President Maduro Receives Seven Children Separated From Their Families by US
Last Friday, July 18, President Maduro received at Miraflores Palace seven children separated from their families by US authorities. The number of children is frequently updated as repatriation flights arrive in Venezuela at least twice a week.
One of the main criticisms of US immigration policy is that children, when separated from their parents, are placed with various foster families without the approval of their parents or legal guardians and that no clear information is provided about their current status.
(RedRadioVE) by Milena Bravo with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
