Venezuela and the US agree to resume repatriation flights from this Sunday #23mar

Venezuela announced this Saturday that it agreed with the United States to resume migrant repatriation flights as of this Sunday, after having denounced a blockade by the US State Department of deportation operations.

«Venezuela informs that, within the framework of the Plan Vuelta a la Patria, and with the purpose of the return of our compatriots to their nation with the protection of their human rights, we have agreed to resume with the US government of the US the repatriation of Venezuelan migrants,» said the representative of Chavismo in the negotiations with Washington, Jorge Rodríguez, in a statement published on Instagram.

The first flight is scheduled for this Sunday and will take place after Washington sent more than 200 Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador, arrested for their alleged relationship with the criminal organization of Aragua.

Rodríguez insisted that «migrating is not a crime» and that Venezuela will not rest until the return of «all who require it» and even «rescue» the nationals who remain, as Caracas has denounced, «kidnapped in El Salvador.»

On Thursday, the president of Parliament denounced that the US Department of State was «blocking» and «preventing» repatriation flights to Venezuela.

He also announced that the administration of Nicolás Maduro, who swore in January for a third term after his questioned re -election, is contacting «the best migration law firms» in the US to represent the Caribbean country and «each and every one of the Venezuelan migrants.»

Similarly, he said they have already «hired the best law firm in El Salvador to defend» and «achieve freedom» of those deported to the Central American country.

A group of 311 Venezuelan migrants returned to their country on Thursday on a repatriation flight of the state Conviasa, from Mexico, according to the head of the Ministry of Interior, Diosdado Cabello.

In total, 919 Venezuelans have returned to their country on five flights since last February, when 190 were 190 at first, 176 that were in the American military base of Guantanamo and more recently 242, also from Mexico, according to official figures.

Cabello argued on Thursday that «not one» of these repatriated belongs to the Transnational Criminal Organization Train of Aragua -nacted in a prison in the Caribbean Nation and designated as a terrorist group by the White House-, despite the United States accusations.

According to official figures, of the 919 repatriated, 18 «have pending accounts to resolve with justice» Venezuelan. EFE