Repatriated Venezuelan migrants receiving medical care at the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, La Guaira state, on Monday, February 23, 2026. Photo: IG/@minjusticia_ve.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Last week, Venezuela welcomed three new groups of migrants under the Return to the Homeland Plan, marking a steady increase in repatriation efforts since flights resumed earlier this year. These operations, landing at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, La Guaira, take place amid Venezuela’s recovery from the US military aggression in January.
Recent flight data and statistics
So far in 2026, 19 repatriation flights have arrived from the US, returning a total of 3,292 Venezuelan migrants. Last week alone, 378 Venezuelans were repatriated. When added to cumulative figures from the previous year, a total of 22,263 migrants have returned, many of them after being wrongfully detained and subjected to racist persecution.
View this post on Instagram
The latest flights, operated by the US-based GlobalX Airlines, are detailed below:
• Flight 115: Arrived on Monday, February 23, from Miami, Florida, with 134 deported migrants. The group included three minors, 17 women, and 114 men.
• Flight 116: Arrived Wednesday, February 25, from Miami, Florida, with 111 deported migrants, including nine minors, 19 women, and 83 men.
• Flight 117: Arrived Friday, February 27, from Miami, Florida, returning 133 Venezuelans. The group consisted of five minors and 128 migrants. No gender information was provided.
These returning migrants follow the previous 2,914 individuals who returned earlier this year across flights 99 through 114.
Roots of migration and the promise of a dignified return
The mass displacement of the Venezuelan people was a phenomenon triggered by the illegal blockade and the hybrid war launched by Washington between 2015 and 2020, which aimed to collapse the Venezuelan economy. This external pressure was accompanied by a psychological operation that first encouraged migration and later shifted toward stigmatizing and criminalizing the diaspora. Today, many of those who sought a better life find themselves victims of summary deportations and systemic abuse within the US carceral system, regardless of their legal status or lack of criminal records.
In contrast to the hostility faced abroad, every citizen returning via the Return to the Homeland Plan is met with a comprehensive state protocol. Upon arrival, they receive immediate medical attention, psychological counseling, and specialized legal support to facilitate their reintegration into Venezuela’s socioeconomic life. Since its creation in 2018, the program has served as a sovereign shield, ensuring that those fleeing xenophobia and exploitation abroad can reclaim their lives with dignity in their own homeland.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SF
