Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro welcomes the arrival of 252 compatriots arbitrarily detained in El Salvador’s CECOT prison, following a high-level prisoner exchange with the U.S.

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President Maduro Promises to Rescue All Detained Venezuelan Children as Repatriated Kids Arrive and Flight with 252 Migrants from CECOT Awaits Landing

On July 18, 2025, the Bolivarian government of Venezuela repatriated 252 Venezuelan nationals who were held without due process in the notorious CECOT prison in El Salvador, a facility widely condemned for overcrowding, torture, and inhumane treatment.

The migrants arrived in two flights at Maiquetía International Airport, marking a remarkable diplomatic victory for Venezuela’s ongoing campaign to defend its citizens abroad.

This repatriation followed a prisoner swap agreement between Venezuela, El Salvador, and the United States, in which Caracas freed ten U.S. citizens accused of political crimes. Venezuela’s Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, Minister Diosdado Cabello, and National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, who led negotiations, personally welcomed the returnees.

President Nicolás Maduro declared:

“We went to look for them from the concentration camps and we brought them back safe and sound.”

President Maduro explained that the prisoner exchange involved the release of confessed foreign terrorists, agents of U.S. intelligence accused of planning violent attacks in Venezuela, underscoring Venezuela’s commitment to protect its sovereignty and people.

The 252 Venezuelans had been deported from the United States under the Trump administration’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act after accusations,rejected by families and lawyers,of belonging to the now defunct  “Tren de Aragua” criminal group. Since March, they were held at CECOT without formal charges, access to lawyers, or family contact, and faced isolation, abuse, and medical neglect.

Their ordeal sparked protests from families in Venezuela and international rights organizations, who denounced the detentions as a violation of human rights and called for immediate repatriation. The United Nations expressed concern about the possibility of enforced disappearances, highlighting extreme restrictions and incommunicado treatment at the facility.

President Maduro framed the repatriation as a necessary response to imperialist abuses and a fulfillment of Venezuela’s “Great Mission Return to the Homeland,” a government initiative that has returned over 7,000 Venezuelans since early 2025.

#BreakingNews | Migrants kidnapped in El Salvador arrive in Venezuela pic.twitter.com/RSV2xcNrXv

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) July 18, 2025

The migrants, in their first contact with Venezuelan authorities, proudly sang the national anthem “Gloria al Bravo Pueblo,” symbolizing resilience and patriotic unity. Minister Cabello was seen aboard the flights, greeting the returned compatriots, many wearing red masks in solidarity.

The Venezuelan government calls on the international community to recognize the illegitimate detention and mistreatment endured by its nationals and exhorts a defense of migrant rights free from criminalization and imperialist agendas.

The repatriation stands as a testament to the Bolivarian government’s unwavering commitment to its people, confronting foreign intervention with dignity and diplomacy.

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