The United States has unveiled a pivotal shift in its immigration policy, announcing the resumption of deportation flights to Venezuela. This move is part of a broader strategy aimed at curbing the surging wave of migration toward its southern border. The news was confirmed by US government officials on Thursday, October 5, 2023.
This policy change marks a significant milestone that could have far-reaching implications for US-Venezuela relations. Venezuela has been grappling with a growing number of its citizens residing illegally in the United States. Adding another layer of complexity to this issue is the fact that Venezuela has been under stringent economic sanctions imposed by the United States since 2019, when diplomatic ties between the two nations were severed. Until this announcement, the Venezuelan government had been unwilling to accept its citizens who were expelled from the United States.
The specifics of how the two countries arrived at this agreement remain undisclosed. However, US spokespersons have indicated that they had been exerting considerable pressure on the administration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to accept the return of its expelled citizens.
COMUNICADO
Comisión Nacional de Primaria respondió al CNE:
“La situación actual de la Primaria es muy distinta a la que teníamos el 5 de junio” pic.twitter.com/IoVuI6TxlK
— Comisión Nacional de Primaria VE (@cnprimariave) October 2, 2023
This policy shift comes against the backdrop of a significant uptick in the number of people attempting to enter the United States illegally via its border with Mexico. In August alone, US border authorities intercepted more than 180,000 migrants. Venezuelans have been a notable demographic contributing to this surge, with 11,506 arrests in June escalating to 22,172 in August. Prior to this policy change, US authorities were unable to deport Venezuelan citizens who failed to meet legal immigration criteria.
In a related development, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) recently proposed a 28-day postponement of the primaries for the united opposition candidate. This proposal was promptly rejected by the National Primary Commission (CNP) on Monday, October 2, 2023. The CNP issued a statement clarifying that the primary elections would proceed as scheduled, with the vote set for October 22, 2023.
The CNP’s decision was reached after two meetings with the Technical Commission, culminating in a document that outlined the resolutions made. The statement emphasized that the primary election process was already in its final stages, with a schedule nearing its conclusion. The CNP further elaborated that any interruption in the organization of the primaries would compromise the respect for the pre-established calendar and the holding of the vote on the designated date of October 22, 2023.
