Venezuela's National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez addresses the media at the Federal Legislative Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela, on October 24, 2023. Photo: Gaby Oraa/Reuters/File photo.
Venezuela’s designated peace envoy, Jorge Rodríguez, has announced that Venezuelans currently in the US will once again be repatriated under the Return to the Homeland Program. This follows an agreement that has been established between the Bolivarian government and US Special Envoy Richard Grenell.
Rodríguez reported this Thursday, March 13, that the initiative “defends and safeguards the reunification of families who have been victims of the grave consequences of criminal sanctions against our country and our economy.” He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting “our compatriots wherever they are.”
Flights resume this Friday
Earlier on Thursday, US Special Envoy Richard Grenell confirmed via social media that repatriation flights will resume this Friday.
Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, US and Venezuelan officials have engaged in talks on multiple issues, including migration. Three Return to the Homeland flights were previously coordinated in February:
- February 10: 190 individuals
- February 20: 177 individuals
- February 24: 242 individuals
The Trump administration revoked Chevron’s operating license for Venezuela on March 4, citing dissatisfaction with the pace of the repatriation process pace, which the president described as “not as fast as he had hoped.” The US oil corporation was given until April 3 to cease operations.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro later linked flight disruptions to Chevron’s license revocation.
President Maduro Blames US for Halting Migrant Repatriation Flights
Below, you can read the unofficial translation of the Venezuelan statement:
Venezuela reports that, within the framework of the Return to the Homeland Program, it has reached an agreement with special envoy Richard Grenell to repatriate Venezuelan brothers and sisters in the United States.
The Bolivarian government of Venezuela thus protects the human rights of our migrant compatriots and defends and safeguards the reunification of families who have been victims of the grave consequences that the criminal sanctions against our country and our economy have had on our people, causing hard-working and dignified compatriots to flee to other destinations in search of alternatives.
We reaffirm that we will care for our fellow citizens wherever they are, and we welcome the happiness that reaches Venezuelan homes when we see their sons and daughters return to their homes, to their homeland, to a dignified future that we will all build together.
— Jorge Rodríguez Gomez
Appointed to the Peace Dialogues by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
(Últimas Noticias) by Ana Perdigón with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/AU
