Andreina Hidalgo holds her two kids after being reunited thanks to the efforts of the Venezuelan government, October 24, 2025. Photo: IG/@minjusticia_ve.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Venezuela received 520 repatriated migrants from the United States this week, on board two flights that landed at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, La Guaira state.
Flight number 80 of the Return to the Homeland Plan landed on Friday, October 24, carrying 312 nationals deported from Texas under what Venezuelan authorities describe as racist and xenophobic US policies. This group consisted of 260 men, 50 women, and two children.
It was preceded by flight number 79, which arrived on Wednesday from El Paso, Texas, with 208 Venezuelan migrants: 159 men, 35 women, and 13 children. Both flights were operated by the US-based airline Eastern.
View this post on Instagram
This week’s arrivals bring the total number of Venezuelans repatriated from the US since the program resumed in February to 15,467.
Family reunification
The president of the Return to the Homeland Plan, Camilla Fabri, along with other authorities, highlighted the case of two children on flight 80: brothers Jeravid González (14) and Jhilary González (12). They were reportedly unjustly separated from their mother, Andreina Hidalgo, by the US regime. Their mother had previously arrived home on September 29 on flight no. 70.
The case of these siblings came to the attention of authorities after they posted videos on social media asking for help to reunite with their mother, as they were staying with a third party in Orlando, Florida. During the reunification, the family thanked Venezuelan authorities for facilitating their return.
Also on flight 79 was a seven-year-old Venezuelan girl, Osmary Perdomo, who had been abducted and cruelly separated from her parents by US authorities.
The Venezuelan Interior Ministry reported that these US immigration policies constitute an act of human rights violation and coercion, in which the inhuman coldness of the US towards Venezuela is evident.
Venezuelan migration
Most Venezuelan migrants in the US originally left after being affected by the economic crisis between 2015 and 2020, a direct consequence of illegal US sanctions against Venezuela.
Following a massive smear campaign and incidents of xenophobic and racist violence in the US, alleging Venezuelan migrants were criminals or mental health patients, the US government began detaining and deporting them. This occurred despite the majority of migrants having no criminal record and many having legal regularization procedures underway.
Return to the Homeland plan
Venezuelan authorities received the repatriated migrants following the protocols of the Return to the Homeland plan. The comprehensive care provided upon arrival includes healthcare, psychological support, and criminal, identification, and socioeconomic checks.
The Return to the Homeland plan was launched by the government of President Nicolás Maduro in 2018 to repatriate free of cost Venezuelans in vulnerable situation stranded abroad. The program aims at assisting those who have been victims of xenophobia and exploitation, in order to ensure their dignified and safe return. It offers comprehensive support to facilitate a successful and trauma-free reintegration into Venezuelan society.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SC
