The US Department of State announced in a statement that President Joe Biden, who has been accused by the right of being weak in dealing with the immigration crisis, has decided to resume direct deportation operations of undocumented immigrants to Venezuela.
The department indicated that the authorities in Caracas have agreed to receive their citizens who will be repatriated.
The Venezuelan government's statement stated that the two countries "reached an agreement that allows for the organized, safe, and legal repatriation of Venezuelan citizens from the United States."
It is worth mentioning that the United States had suspended direct flights designated for deporting immigrants to Venezuela, which is experiencing a severe political, security, and economic crisis.
An unnamed US official stated during a press conference, "We have already identified individuals who are in our custody, and they will be quickly deported in the coming days" due to their failure to meet the criteria for legal residency in the United States.
He continued, stating that this decision "shows that we are determined that individuals who cross our borders illegally face consequences."
This announcement coincides with another immigration-related decision made by the Biden administration, which will resume the construction of the wall that former President Donald Trump wanted on the border with Mexico.
The senior official did not specify the date of the first flight or the number of individuals involved.
The resumption of direct deportation operations targets Venezuelans who entered US territory after July 31. As for those who were on US soil before this date, Washington recently announced the granting of 500,000 temporary residence permits.
According to the United Nations, more than seven million people have fled Venezuela since its economic collapse.
The regime of President Nicolás Maduro has been targeted by sanctions imposed by Washington, which has not recognized his re-election in 2018.
Another senior official stated, "We have long said that we are prepared to review sanctions based on tangible progress towards a democratic resolution in Venezuela. These steps have not yet been taken, and we continue to implement our sanctions."
On the other hand, Caracas considers that the mass migration witnessed in recent years was a "direct result of the application of unilateral coercive measures" and the "encirclement" of its economy, all of which are "illegal" and "illegitimate" measures according to the Venezuelan government.
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