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)—Diosdado Cabello, Secretary General of Venezuela’s 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.”
“No one is muzzling us or forcing our actions. This plan is not temporary—it’s been active since 2018, with over 920,000 Venezuelans repatriated so far. A flight from Bolivia carrying compatriots will arrive soon,” Cabello informed the press this Monday, March 10, during the weekly PSUV press conference.
He linked President Nicolás Maduro’s decision to halt repatriations from the US to the Trump administration’s revokation of Chevron’s operating license. “We suspended the process because something suspicious arose—it’s not our fault. The party fully backs Maduro’s move,” Cabello said.
The PSUV leader clarified that Venezuela did not invite Chevron to return to Venezuela, rather, “the company negotiated directly with US authorities to reenter Venezuela,” back in 2022.
Cabello criticized Washington’s shifting stance, noting that after the US government change, Venezuela engaged with Special Envoy Richard Grenell to establish a “Zero Agenda” for resetting bilateral relations. “But someone is lying to Trump, painting Venezuelans as criminals to justify persecution. We’ve only asked for respect and non-interference,” he emphasized.
Addressing US claims linking repatriated migrants to the Aragua Train criminal gang, Cabello said: “The Venezuelan government treated them as compatriots, not suspects. Of all those recently repatriated, only 15 had minor criminal records—none tied to organized crime. Someone is deceiving you, Mr. Trump.”
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: “They violated the Zero Agenda, celebrated Chevron’s withdrawal, and pushed new sanctions. These traitors lack leadership—they’re driven by extremism and greed.”
He also tied the opposition’s “madness” to lost USAID funding, alleging desperation is fueling their actions.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SA
