Venezuela has agreed to restart repatriation flights for deported nationals from the United States following an agreement between the two countries. The move came after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro temporarily suspended flights earlier this month. Jorge Rodríguez, the president of Venezuela’s national assembly and Maduro’s chief negotiator with the U.S., shared the announcement on social media.

“We have agreed with the US government to resume the repatriation of Venezuelan migrants with an initial flight tomorrow, Sunday,” Rodríguez stated. He further noted that the move seeks to provide “the return of our compatriots to their nation with the safeguard of their human rights.”

The repatriation program was put on hold on March 8 after the U.S. Treasury Department revoked Chevron’s license to export Venezuelan oil. However, with tensions now seemingly reduced, flights have resumed. Meanwhile, Rodríguez condemned the deportation of around 250 Venezuelans to a high-security prison in El Salvador during U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.

“Migrating is not a crime, and we will not rest until we achieve the return of all those who require it and until we rescue our brothers kidnapped in El Salvador,” he stated.

Thereafter in the day, during a public event, Maduro reiterated the government's dedication to repatriation. “We are resuming flights to rescue and release migrants from US prisons,” he stated while holding El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele accountable for the safety of the deported Venezuelans.

“You guarantee their health, and sooner rather than later, you have to hand them over and release them because they are kidnapped,” Maduro stated.

Trump’s administration claimed that the deported individuals were part of Tren de Aragua, a notorious Venezuelan criminal gang. On March 15, Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century law permitting the deportation of non-citizens during wartime, branding the gang an “invading force.” However, a federal judge temporarily halted the deportations, even as some flights were already en route. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the removal of legal protections for approximately 532,000 individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who have been in the country since October 2022.

Immigrants who entered the U.S. with financial sponsors and were granted two-year residency and work permits will lose their legal status on April 24, or 30 days after the Federal Register issues the notice.

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has classified Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organisation. The gang, which originated in Venezuelan prisons, expanded as millions of Venezuelans fled the country’s economic crisis.

Despite Trump’s claims, his administration has yet to present any evidence linking the deported individuals to the gang or proving they committed crimes in the U.S.