Weeks ago, following talks between Nicolás Maduro and the representative of the Trump administration, Richard Grenell, a first group of 190 deported Venezuelans was repatriated to Venezuela. However, shortly after, a second group had instead been transferred to the Guantanamo Naval Base, which the US operates on Cuban soil.
On February 20, 177 Venezuelans, deported by the US government and detained at the Guantánamo Naval Base, arrived on state-owned Conviasa planes at Maiquetía International Airport “Simón Bolívar.”
On January 29, Trump had ordered the US Army and the Department of Homeland Security to prepare the Guantanamo Naval Base for a massive influx of apprehended migrants who are considered “dangerous.” However, to date, all migrants transferred to Guantánamo have been Venezuelans.
Upon the insistence of the Venezuelan authorities that their nationals not be held at the military base, the US government agreed to deport the migrants back to Venezuela. This was possible thanks to the intervention of Honduras, which took in the deportees before they boarded several planes bound for Venezuela.
According to the Venezuelan government, over the last several years, more than 914,000 people have returned to the Caribbean territory.
“Return to the Homeland” plan pre-dates Trump’s deportation agenda
The return of the recent Venezuelan migrants, who upon arrival sang the Venezuelan national anthem, is part of the Return to the Homeland Plan. This initiative envisions, according to Diosdado Cabello, Venezuelan Secretary of Interior Relations, Justice and Peace, the full reintegration of the returned migrants to the social and economic life of the Caribbean country: “It is a great Mission that does not have to do with a particular situation, but since 2018 the President of Venezuela ordered the creation of the Return to the Homeland Mission.”
Cabello, who personally received the deportees, explained that the procedure upon their arrival consists of “a process of medical review, identification if there are any with police records…Each security agency, psychologist, and doctor will attend them…The first wave [of deportees] was done perfectly in coordination with all State agencies.”
In addition, the Venezuelan authorities clarified that if there is any criminal among the repatriated persons, the corresponding legal safeguards will be applied: “in case there is any situation that typifies any form of crime established in our legal system on the part of any of the repatriated, the competent authorities will act by the laws of the Republic and in strict protection of human rights.”
Repatriated citizens unrelated to “Tren de Aragua” gang, says Secretary of Interior
According to Washington, the Venezuelans deported to Guantanamo have records related to criminal activities of the “Tren de Aragua” criminal gang. However, Diosdado Cabello himself questioned this assertion and affirmed that none of those repatriated had any relation with the said gang.
Regarding the almost 200 Venezuelans’ stay in the US Naval Base in Cuba, Cabello explained “We must remember that they were in Guantanamo. The Government made every effort to have them returned, a negotiation effort between the Governments of the United States and Venezuela.”
Venezuela and the United States broke diplomatic relations in 2019, which makes this repatriation operation much more complex than it appears at first glance.
