Venezuelan President Maduro Denounces Deportations and Demands Return of Migrants

Nicolas Maduro condemns the deportation of over 200 Venezuelan migrants, calling it ‘kidnapping.’ He insists the deportees are innocent and demands their return. The deportation was executed by the U.S. under Trump’s authority, straining relations further. Protests ensued in Venezuela, and human rights groups criticized the conditions in the receiving prison in El Salvador. Maduro has pledged to increase repatriation efforts.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has strongly condemned the recent deportation of over 200 Venezuelan migrants from the United States to a high-security facility in El Salvador, characterizing this act as a “kidnapping.” He maintained that these individuals are not criminals and expressed a desire for their safe return. Maduro’s statements were made during a gathering of supporters, where he mentioned the involvement of El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele in this incident, urging him to refrain from complicity in what he termed a kidnapping.

Maduro indicated that the deportees had neither faced trial nor been afforded legal representation or due process. He accused the U.S. government of deceiving them, stating, “They were deceived, handcuffed, put on a plane, kidnapped, and sent to a concentration camp in El Salvador.” He announced plans for his government to formally request the return of these individuals from El Salvador while gathering extensive support from Venezuelan citizens.

The deportation, which occurred over the weekend, was carried out under President Donald Trump’s invocation of a historical wartime law. Trump justified the action by asserting that all deportees were affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang, despite a legal challenge against the deportation process. This development has exacerbated tensions between Caracas and Washington.

Alongside the Venezuelan deportees, 23 Salvadorans were also expelled to El Salvador as per a bilateral agreement. They were confined at the Counter-Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in Tecoluca, a facility criticized for its treatment of inmates. Human rights organizations have condemned the conditions there as inhumane.

Protests erupted in Caracas where demonstrators expressed solidarity with the deported individuals. Many recognized their family members in the media reports of the deportations and insisted that the deportees were not associated with any criminal activities. Maduro highlighted the outpouring of support, emphasizing the importance of civic involvement in advocating for the deportees’ release.

The White House has yet to provide conclusive evidence linking the deportees with the criminal group Tren de Aragua, designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government earlier this year. Officials from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reaffirmed their decision by stating that thorough assessments were conducted to ascertain the deportees’ connections to criminal activity.

In light of these events, Maduro has directed his government to enhance repatriation efforts for Venezuelan migrants detained in the United States. He underscored the humanitarian aspect of returning these individuals to their homes, asserting the government’s commitment to treating them with respect and dignity.

In summary, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has publicly decried the deportation of over 200 Venezuelan migrants by the United States, labeling it a ‘kidnapping.’ Maduro seeks the repatriation of the deportees, deeming them innocent and demanding that the El Salvadoran government refrain from cooperation in these deportations. The situation reflects escalating tensions between Venezuela and the U.S., as well as ongoing human rights concerns related to the treatment of deported individuals.

Original Source: tribuneonlineng.com