Repatriated Venezuelan migrants at the Simón Bolívar International Airport being checked by migration officers on Friday, April 25, 2025. Photo: IG/@mijpvzla.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—According to the Venezuelan Interior Ministry, 199 Venezuelan migrants returned to Venezuela from the United States the morning of Friday, April 25, after landing at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía
The flight transported 171 men, 19 women, and 9 children and adolescents, who were received under strict health and legal protocols. Authorities stated that the returnees will be integrated into the country’s comprehensive development programs as part of the Return to the Homeland initiative.
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The Return to the Homeland program, launched in 2018, has repatriated thousands of Venezuelans. The program coordinates transfers from various countries, primarily in Latin America, though returns from the US have increased due to restrictions on Conviasa flights in those nations and repatriation agreements between Miraflores and the White House in late January.
The Venezuelan Ministry of the Interior, Justice and Peace has reported that the migrants underwent comprehensive protocols, including documentation reviews, medical evaluations, and legal/judicial background checks. Those background checks have shown that none of the over 3,000 Venezuelans repatriated in recent months belong to the Tren de Aragua criminal gang, as alleged by US officials.
Three flights this week
On April 24, another flight carrying 174 Venezuelan migrants deported from the US arrived in Maiquetía. The flight, comprised of 145 men and 29 women, was received by Minister of Penitentiary Services Julio García, raising the total number of returnees to 2,731 by 2025, per official data.
316 Migrants Arrive in Venezuela From Mexico; No Members of Fictitious Tren De Aragua Gang
On Thursday, 316 Venezuelans arrived, including 142 children and adolescents. The remainder were senior citizens, according to a report by the public channel Venezolana de Televisión.
Millions of Venezuelans initially migrated due to explicit invitations from right-wing governments, including the US, alongside the economic crisis exacerbated by illegal US sanctions aimed at ousting the Bolivarian Revolution.
Venezuelan authorities report that the Return to the Homeland program had repatriated over 30,000 people by 2022.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SF
