Star Metro - US sends migrants from Guantanamo to Venezuela

Officials in Washington and Caracas confirmed that a plane departed the US base and deposited the 177 people in Honduras, where they were picked up by the Venezuelan government. The deportees then left for Caracas on a flag carrier Conviasa flight at 2320 GMT.

The carefully choreographed operation would have seemed impossible just weeks ago when the United States accused President Nicolas Maduro of stealing an election.

But since President Donald Trump entered office four weeks ago, relations have thawed, with the White House prioritizing immigration cooperation.

Maduro said the handover was at the "direct request" of his government to that of Trump.

"We have rescued 177 new migrants from Guantanamo," he said at an official event.

Trump envoy Richard Grenell traveled to Caracas on January 31 and met Maduro, who is the subject of a $25 million US bounty for his arrest.

Grenell brokered the release of six US prisoners. A day later Trump announced Venezuela had agreed to accept illegal migrants deported from the United States.

- 'Recovered' -

Venezuela said it had "requested the repatriation of a group of compatriots who were unjustly taken to the Guantanamo naval base."

"This request has been accepted and the citizens have been transferred to Honduras, from where they will be recovered," the government said in a statement.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed they had transported "177 Venezuelan illegal aliens from Guantanamo Bay to Honduras today for pickup by the Venezuelan government."

Caracas broke off ties with Washington in January 2019 after The United States recognized then-opposition leader Juan Guaido as "interim president" following 2018 elections that were widely rejected as neither free nor fair.

In October 2023, Maduro allowed US planes with deported migrants to fly into Venezuela but withdrew permission four months later.

His government has been flying free or subsidized repatriation flights for Venezuelans wishing to return home.

Venezuela is keen to end crippling US sanctions and to move beyond the controversy over elections last July that the United States and numerous other countries said were won by the opposition.

The contested election results sparked protests in which at least 2,400 people were arrested, with 28 killed and about 200 wounded.

Human rights groups in the United States have sued to gain access to migrants held in Guantanamo after Trump ordered the base to prepare to receive some 30,000 people who entered the United States without papers.

Guantanamo is synonymous with abuses against terror suspects held there after the September 11 attacks.

The United States on Thursday deported another group of 135 migrants of various nationalities to Costa Rica, from where they will be repatriated to their home countries, including China, Russia, Afghanistan, Ghana and Vietnam, the government in San Jose said.

Cost Rica, along with Panama, is serving as a way station for migrants deported by Trump's government.

M.Johnson--SMC