The Venezuelan government said Thursday that the United States had “unilaterally” suspended a deportation flight scheduled to arrive in Caracas on Friday, describing the move as a disruption to a coordinated repatriation program.
Venezuela‘s Interior Ministry said the suspension “interrupts a coordinated process” that had facilitated the return of nationals detained in the United States and urged Washington to “rectify sooner rather than later.”
A U.S. administration official, however, disputed the claim, telling Reuters shortly after the announcement that “there is nothing true about this,” adding that deportation flights to Venezuela “will continue.” The official did not clarify whether the December 12 flight would proceed.
The dispute comes during a period of rising tensions between Washington and Caracas. The Trump administration seized a Venezuelan oil tanker earlier in the week and deployed additional warships and aircraft near the country as part of what it describes as anti-narcotics missions.
In its statement, the Venezuelan Interior Ministry said the suspension “contradicts the official discourse of the United States regarding the situation of migrants in its territory and generates uncertainty among Venezuelan families who expected reunification.” It added that the government “reiterates its willingness to receive its citizens with open arms, guaranteeing support in their reintegration.”
Despite the broader escalation, deportation flights had continued regularly. According to official data, Venezuela has received 98 flights since January, typically on Wednesdays and Fridays, with the most recent arriving this past Wednesday with 218 deportees, as NTN24 reports. Human Rights First’s ICE Flight Monitor estimates that an estimated 10,200 Venezuelans were deported between February and early October
The rise in removals follows the November termination of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans in the United States, which exposed hundreds of thousands to possible deportation after the Supreme Court allowed the policy change to move forward.
Originally published on Latin Times
