On International Workers’ Day, thousands in Venezuela march to denounce U.S. migrant deportations and demand the return of baby Maikelys Espinoza, separated from her parents by U.S. policies. The mobilization highlights widespread opposition to U.S. immigration actions and calls for justice for affected families.

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Workers Mobilize Nationwide Against U.S. Deportations

Across Venezuela, May Day was marked not only by celebrations of labor but by a powerful, unified rejection of the U.S. government’s immigration policies. In states including Bolívar, Apure, Mérida, Sucre, and in Caracas, citizens, labor leaders, and government officials rallied to demand the return of Venezuelan migrants and to denounce the forced separation of families, most notably the case of baby Maikelys Espinoza.

The marches were infused with Bolivarian symbolism-flags, portraits of Hugo Chávez, and banners listing the names of deported Venezuelans,demonstrating the deep connection between national identity and the struggle for migrant rights. Protesters condemned the Trump administration’s secretive deportation of Venezuelans, which included sending individuals to third countries like El Salvador to obscure their true destination, despite U.S. laws prohibiting the return of refugees to dangerous conditions. These actions, reveal a stark contradiction in U.S. policy: denouncing Venezuela’s government while simultaneously endangering its citizens through deportations.

Día del trabajador | Marcha por la libertad de Maikelys Espinoza https://t.co/MWndkYOaau

— Con el Mazo Dando (@ConElMazoDando) May 1, 2025

The text reads: Workers’ Day | March for the Freedom of Maikelys Espinoza

Demand for Justice in the Case of Baby Maikelys

Central to the mobilization was the demand for the return of Maikelys Espinoza, a Venezuelan baby separated from her parents after their deportation from the US. President Nicolás Maduro and other officials have denounced the separation as a violation of human rights, vowing to fight for the child’s return and reunification with her family in Venezuela. “We are going to rescue her, and she will grow up in her homeland, with her school, her toys, her friends,” Maduro declared, emphasizing the government’s commitment to defending the rights of all Venezuelan families affected by U.S. immigration policies.

Labor leaders and candidates from the Great Simon Bolivar Patriotic Pole (GPPSB) joined the marches, expressing solidarity with deported migrants and their families. In Bolívar, gubernatorial candidate Yulisbeth García called for justice for Maikelys, highlighting the resilience of Venezuelan workers in the face of external pressures and economic blockade. “We demand justice and stand in solidarity with her parents. The cowardly empire must return Maikelys to her family,” García stated, echoing the broader sentiment of resistance and unity among Venezuela’s working class.

The May Day mobilization is part of a broader pattern of resistance against what Venezuelan authorities and leftist organizations describe as unilateral, arbitrary U.S. actions that violate the human rights of migrants and their families. The government has repeatedly called for international solidarity and for the U.S. to respect the dignity and rights of Venezuelan nationals. As the country prepares for upcoming elections, the mass manifestations serve as a reminder of the enduring power of popular mobilization and the centrality of social justice to Venezuela’s political identity.

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