Repatriated Venezuelan migrant does President Nicolas Maduro's victory sign, popularized after the US kidnapping, while waiting to pass migration in the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, La Guaira state, on March 11, 2026. Photo: IG/@minjusticia_ve.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com/)—Last week, Venezuela received three new groups of migrants under the Return to the Homeland Plan, maintaining the consistent pace of repatriation operations seen throughout early 2026. These arrivals at the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, La Guaira, come as the Venezuelan government continues to provide a state-led response to the mass deportations carried out by US imperialism.
Recent flight data and statistics
So far in 2026, 24 repatriation flights have arrived from the US, returning a total of 4,096 Venezuelan deportees. Last week alone, 548 Venezuelans were repatriated across three separate operations. When added to the cumulative figures from 2025, a total of 23,067 migrants have returned to the country through this program under the 2025 agreement between Venezuela and the US regime.
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These individuals often return after experiencing the systemic failures of the US immigration system, where many are held in carceral facilities for months before being returned on chartered flights. This week’s operations involved two different US-based carriers, GlobalX and Eastern Airlines. Details are provided below:
• Flight 122: Arrived on Friday, March 13, from the US, carrying 144 deported migrants. The group consisted of 14 minors, 19 women, and 111 men. The operation was conducted on a GlobalX Airlines aircraft.
• Flight 121: Arrived Wednesday, March 11, from Phoenix, Arizona, with 270 deported migrants. The group included eight minors, 38 women, and 224 men. The operation was conducted on an Eastern Airlines aircraft.
• Flight 120: Arrived Monday, March 9, from Miami, Florida, with 134 deported migrants. The group included 13 minors, 30 women, and 91 men. The operation was conducted on a GlobalX Airlines aircraft.
Economic blockade and the sovereign right to return
The migration patterns affecting Venezuela are fundamentally a byproduct of the illegal US blockade and the multi-layered hybrid war directed at the country's stability. Washington’s strategy of economic strangulation was designed to induce social collapse, effectively weaponizing migration as a tool for international stigmatization. While US policy initially incentivized these departures to frame Venezuela as a "failed state," it has now pivoted toward summary deportations and the criminalization of the Venezuelan diaspora.
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In sharp contrast to the carceral treatment received abroad, the Return to the Homeland Plan serves as a sovereign shield against xenophobia and exploitation. Every returning citizen is met with a comprehensive social care protocol that includes immediate medical screening, psychological counseling, and legal assistance. Since its inception in 2018, the program has been a cornerstone of Venezuela’s policy to protect its people from the fallout of imperialist aggression, offering a dignified path for returnees to reintegrate into the social and economic fabric of their homeland.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
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