Venezuela will again be receiving deportation flights from the United States after the two countries struck a deal earlier Saturday.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro previously halted his country’s acceptance of U.S. deportation flights earlier this month after the U.S. Treasury Department moved to cancel Chevron’s license to pump oil in the country past April 3. A report earlier this week, however, indicated that President Donald Trump was open to extending the license, while also weighing tariffs or other financial penalties on any country that buys oil from Venezuela.
While no details on the deal struck this weekend were revealed, Maduro announced that flights would again be received by his country.
“Tomorrow, thanks to the government’s perseverance, we’ll resume flights to continue rescuing and freeing migrants from prisons in the United States,” Maduro said in a televised address.
Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, who is Maduro’s chief negotiator with the U.S., also revealed the deal with the U.S. and said deportation flights would be accepted into Venezuela starting as early as Sunday.
“We have agreed with the U.S. government to resume the repatriation of Venezuelan migrants with an initial flight tomorrow, Sunday,” Rodriguez said in a statement.
Maduro and his regime have been critical of President Donald Trump‘s deportation effort last weekend, which included two flights containing suspected Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gang members being sent to El Salvador.
During his Saturday address, Maduro, however, placed the blame on El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, who previously celebrated the Venezuelan migrants’ arrival in his country, some of whom were wanted for crimes there.
“To Nayib Bukele, El Salvador’s President, we say that you’re responsible,” he said, before suggesting that Bukele send them back to Venezuela.
“You have to guarantee their health and sooner rather than later, you have to free them and hand them over,” Maduro said.
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Rodriguez also decried Trump’s deportations and urged the suspected gang members’ immediate return.
“Migrating isn’t a crime, and we won’t rest until everyone who wants to return is back and we rescue our kidnapped brothers in El Salvador,” Rodriguez said.
