
PSUV leader Diosdado Cabello answering questions during the party's weekly press conference this Monday, March 10, 2025. Photo: Con el Mazo Dando.
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PSUV leader Diosdado Cabello answering questions during the party's weekly press conference this Monday, March 10, 2025. Photo: Con el Mazo Dando.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)âDiosdado Cabello, Secretary General of Venezuelaâs United Socialist Party (PSUV), said that the Plan Vuelta a la Patria (Return to the Homeland Program) operates independently of US directives or “imperialist demands.”
âNo one is muzzling us or forcing our actions. This plan is not temporaryâitâs been active since 2018, with over 920,000 Venezuelans repatriated so far. A flight from Bolivia carrying compatriots will arrive soon,â Cabello informed the press this Monday, March 10, during the weekly PSUV press conference.
He linked President NicolĂĄs Maduroâs decision to halt repatriations from the US to the Trump administrationâs revokation of Chevronâs operating license. âWe suspended the process because something suspicious aroseâitâs not our fault. The party fully backs Maduroâs move,â Cabello said.
The PSUV leader clarified that Venezuela did not invite Chevron to return to Venezuela, rather, âthe company negotiated directly with US authorities to reenter Venezuela,â back in 2022.
Cabello criticized Washingtonâs shifting stance, noting that after the US government change, Venezuela engaged with Special Envoy Richard Grenell to establish a âZero Agendaâ for resetting bilateral relations. âBut someone is lying to Trump, painting Venezuelans as criminals to justify persecution. Weâve only asked for respect and non-interference,â he emphasized.
Addressing US claims linking repatriated migrants to the Aragua Train criminal gang, Cabello said: âThe Venezuelan government treated them as compatriots, not suspects. Of all those recently repatriated, only 15 had minor criminal recordsânone tied to organized crime. Someone is deceiving you, Mr. Trump.â
He reiterated that Venezuelan authorities implemented rigorous background-check processes, including three-day screenings in La Guaira, and noted that only one individual on a subsequent flight from Mexico had a police record.
President Maduro Blames US for Halting Migrant Repatriation Flights
Cabello blamed Venezuelan far-right opposition politicians for anti-migrant campaigns and accused them of sabotaging agreements: âThey violated the Zero Agenda, celebrated Chevronâs withdrawal, and pushed new sanctions. These traitors lack leadershipâtheyâre driven by extremism and greed.â
He also tied the oppositionâs âmadnessâ to lost USAID funding, alleging desperation is fueling their actions.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SA