THE United States has been quietly deporting Venezuelans, via Trinidad and Tobago.
The “Venes” are being sent back mainly from the state of Florida, to Piarco International Airport, to be dispatched to Caracas.
The US Federal Aviation Administration officially stopped travel between that country and Nicholas Maduro’s land two years ago.
The Venezuelans being deported from the US are separate from those that Trinidad and Tobago has sent back over time.
The United States’ Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has confirmed that several Venezuelans have been repatriated for a variety of serious reasons, but mainly because of criminal activities.
Senator Bob Menendez said last year that nationals of Venezuela were being stealthily returned to their homeland, through T&T, which, he stated, could be a violation of American laws.
The Departments of State, Homeland Security and Transportation are aware of the expulsions.
Some months ago, Elliot Abrams, the State Department’s Special Envoy to Venezuela, attempted to downplay the deportations, but this was later exposed.
At the time of Menendez’ declaration, then-National Security Minister Stuart Young issued a firm denial.
Young said there was “no truth to the allegations,” adding: “We never agreed to any such operation.”
US President Joe Biden has kept up the pressure against Maduro that was launched by his right-wing predecessor Donald Trump.
Biden has said: “Maduro is a dictator – plain and simple.”
The US president has not altered Trump’s policies on Maduro, and he is being urged by exiled Venezuelans in Florida and elsewhere to tighten economic sanctions.
A US diplomatic source in Port of Spain said the Biden administration is aware of the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela and does not want to punish the entire country because of the dictatorial leader.
A tough US sanctions on oil and diesel trade has badly hurt the Venezuelan economy and has led to more starvation in the country.
“We want to see democracy in Venezuela,” the source said.
He acknowledged, though, that Washington is no long strongly advocating for Opposition Leader Juan Guaido.
The Trump administration had insisted that Guaido was the elected leader of the South American country.
The Keith Rowley Government has come under criticisms from the US authorities for its continuing close ties to the authoritarian Maduro.
A recent report stated that the T&T administration “continues to defer to the very regime whose economic mismanagement and abuses have driven that mass exodus of more than 5.5 million people.”
It was noted that T&T regularly supports Maduro at the Organisation of American States.
The report said that Rowley has indicated he would not vote on any Venezuelan resolution at the OAS until a Maduro representative replaces the current Guaido appointee.
T&T has not wavered in its strong trade and diplomatic links with Venezuela.
There have been some occasional deportations from Port of Spain.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has ordered T&T not to return certain children until an assessment was conducted on the risks they faced in their homeland.
There are continuous illegal arrivals of “boat people” through T&T’s porous borders, many of whom settle into the informal sector.
Against all those backgrounds, the Rowley Government has facilitated the deportations of Venezuelans from the United States.
The US Embassy in Port of Spain continues to keep a close eye on developments with Maduro, with the source insisting: “There is need for an agreement that would lead to democracy and protection of the human rights of all Venezuelans.”
