A total of 182 Venezuelan migrants returned to their country on Friday afternoon on a repatriation flight from Arizona, United States, as part of the government’s Gran Misión Vuelta a la Patria program, under the migration agreements between Caracas and Washington.
The group arrived at Maiquetía International Airport in Caracas, marking the fourth repatriation flight of Venezuelan migrants so far this year.
Who returned to Venezuela?
According to information released by the official program on social media, of the total number of people who returned:
- 149 were men.
- 23 women.
- 10 children.
The authorities emphasized that the operation was carried out under protocols coordinated between U.S. and Venezuelan authorities.
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The flight departed from Phoenix, Arizona
According to Venezuela’s Ministry of Interior and Justice, Friday’s flight departed from Phoenix, Arizona, and was operated by Eastern Airlines as part of the return flights for Venezuelan migrants in irregular status in the United States.
The day before, on Thursday, another group of 183 Venezuelan citizens—151 men and 32 women—also returned to the country on a similar flight, reflecting the continuity of repatriation operations.
These flights take place in a political context marked by the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Congresswoman Cilia Flores, on January 3 in Caracas, an event that intensified migration flows and accelerated repatriation agreements.
The migration agreement between Venezuela and the United States remains in effect
Caracas and Washington maintain a migration agreement signed in early last year, which has remained in effect despite diplomatic tensions, including the U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean Sea.
The agreement was formally resumed on January 16, almost two weeks after the start of the operation ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump on Venezuelan territory, allowing the resumption of repatriation flights for Venezuelan citizens.
