Venezuela welcomes back 252 migrants
Over 200 Venezuelan migrants detained in El Salvador's maximum security prison returned to Venezuela as part of a prisoner exchange that freed 10 Americans held in Venezuela. The emotional homecoming at La Guaira airport near Caracas saw migrants embracing each other, with some requiring wheelchair assistance and Red Cross support.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello accused El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele of attempting to sabotage the exchange by blocking planes and firing pellets at departing migrants. He claimed that negotiations with U.S. officials were necessary to ensure the Venezuelan aircraft could take off, asserting that any credit to Bukele was undeserved.
The migrants had been deported from the United States in March under the Trump administration's invocation of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, which alleged gang membership, and were held at El Salvador's CECOT prison. The exchange involved 252 Venezuelans being flown back to Venezuela in return for the release of 10 Americans, including citizens and permanent residents. The deal also included the release or alternative detention of Venezuelan political prisoners, with at least 48 freed so far and up to 80 expected, as well as the return of seven Venezuelan children separated from their deported parents.
This exchange marks a rare diplomatic coordination among the U.S., Venezuela, and El Salvador, following a controversial deportation that drew strong criticism and legal challenges due to concerns over due process. Salvadoran President Bukele celebrated the return of the Venezuelans, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the release of the Americans. Human rights groups continue to challenge the original deportations and advocate for broader accountability and legal protections for those affected.
