Venezuela Repatriates Over 500 Migrants From US Amid Tensions

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Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Venezuela received two Return to the Homeland Plan flights this week, repatriating 519 nationals deported under what the Venezuelan government describes as racist US migration policies against Latino migrants.The most recent flight, number 63 from the United States, landed Friday, August 29, at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, carrying 319 Venezuelan citizens. The group consisted of 281 men, 31 women, and seven children. They were received following protocols established by immigration, security, and Return to the Homeland authorities, according to a release from Venezuela’s Interior Ministry on social media. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ministerio Relaciones Interiores, Justicia y Paz (@minjusticia_ve)On Wednesday, flight 62 landed at Maiquetía airport carrying 200 repatriated migrants from the US state of Texas. After disembarking, the group of 157 men, 42 women and one child went through migration control. This process included in-person interviews to review each case and security background. They then received medical and psychological care from state institutions before being transferred to their homes by law enforcement agencies.These repatriation flights continue despite growing tensions with the US after the deployment of major US Navy warships in the southern Caribbean. The US government alleges the deployment is to fight drug trafficking, accusing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading the Cartel de los Soles, Tren de Aragua, and the Sinaloa Cartel, and has raised the bounty for his capture to $50 million.Families Demand Return of 66 Venezuelan Children Still Held Captive in USWith the relaunch of the Return to the Homeland Plan last February, over 11,000 Venezuelans have returned to their country after enduring hardship and xenophobia abroad, mostly from the United States.Through these actions, the Nicolás Maduro administration continues to strengthen its social protection policies and reaffirms its commitment to the well-being of its citizens at home and abroad. The plan remains active in various countries, coordinating diplomatic and logistical efforts to ensure the orderly, dignified, and free-of-charge return of vulnerable Venezuelans living abroad. Special for Orinoco Tribune by staffOT/JRE/SF