Politics Trump: Venezuela takes back migrants from the USA
According to President Donald Trump, the USA has reached an agreement on migration policy with Venezuela. The Venezuelan government has agreed to take back all citizens who entered the USA illegally and were arrested there, Trump wrote on the Truth Social and X platforms. This also included members of criminal gangs, he emphasized. "Venezuela has also agreed to take over the return transportation," he continued.
01.02.2025, 19:09
SDA
The released Americans who had been imprisoned in Venezuela are now also back in the USA, Trump emphasized. The Venezuelan government did not initially comment on a migration agreement, but only on the releases.
US threat of consequences
Trump had sent his envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, to Venezuela to urge President Nicolás Maduro to take back migrants who had entered the USA illegally and to secure the release of detained Americans. As usual, the Trump administration linked the demands with the threat that there would otherwise be consequences.
After the talks, Grenell left the country with six released Americans. He posted several photos of the six men on X. Grenell wrote: "We are home." The reason for the detention of the Americans in Venezuela was not initially known.
A controversial head of state
Maduro said of the talks with the USA: "There are issues on which we have reached initial agreements." He did not give any details. He announced a "new beginning" in relations with the US, "where everything that needs to be rectified will be rectified and what needs to be done will be done".
The visit came less than a month after Maduro was sworn in for a third term - following an election overshadowed by allegations of fraud, nationwide protests and international criticism. The USA does not recognize Maduro's claim to the election victory and, together with Canada, the UK and the EU, had imposed sanctions against high-ranking officials in the South American country.
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab argued in a television interview that Grenell's visit formally means that the US government recognizes Maduro as President of Venezuela. Former US President Mike Pompeo, in turn, warned on Fox News that he hoped there had been no concessions to the Venezuelan government in this direction. The US government must not forget who Maduro is.
