Trump’s deportations hit Venezuela: From Maduro’s outrage to the opposition’s fears

In the midst of Venezuela’s ongoing political and civil turmoil, there is widespread outrage over the treatment of Venezuelan prisoners deported to El Salvador by the United States under the controversial Alien Enemies Act. This sentiment has intensified amid growing reports of innocent individuals being held in the brutal Center for Confinement Against Terrorism (CECOT) in San Salvador, where they are being mixed with criminals from the notorious El Tren de Aragua gang.

Venezuelan opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia issued a statement calling for an end to “the unjust criminalization of Venezuelans.” They urge U.S. authorities to “exercise extreme caution in administering justice,” and reaffirm their trust “in the rule of law that governs democratic countries.” However, the statement has failed to resonate with many, as Machado’s arguments regarding Venezuela’s political regime and the need for a path back to democracy appear to have little impact on the White House. Washington, unconvinced that such a shift is feasible, is focused on its own immediate interests.

Several hundred thousand Venezuelans have been stripped of the temporary protected status they were granted under Joe Biden and now face the threat of mass deportation. Meanwhile, Venezuela is concerned about the Trump administration’s “travel ban,” which is set to come into force in the coming days. This ban would prohibit the entry of Venezuelans into the U.S., including those with visas, students, and tourists, along with citizens from 40 other blacklisted countries.

This sweeping measure would have a devastating impact on large segments of Venezuelan society, most of whom are connected to the country’s democratic movement. Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have family, businesses and interests in cities such as Miami, Dallas and Houston, and receive remittances from the U.S.

This unrest, compounded by frequent reports of xenophobia in countries like Chile and Peru, has fueled a deep sense of outrage and helplessness in Venezuela. For ordinary people, it seems there is nowhere they can escape to. Economic sanctions and the ban on Chevron’s operations in Venezuela are once again crippling the economy. Prices are soaring, consumption is slowing, and Venezuela, already bankrupt, is sinking further into despair.

Meanwhile, within Venezuela, Chavista authorities continue to respond to the population’s discontent with unusual harshness. For 25 years, spokespeople for the Bolivarian Revolution have intermittently declared that they will govern the country “by fair means or foul,” and it is clear they have opted for the latter.

After years of ignoring the Venezuelan diaspora, Nicolás Maduro’s government has criticized U.S. authorities’ treatment of migrants, claiming they are mostly “honest and hardworking.” Jorge Rodríguez, a prominent spokesperson for the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), announced several “days of solidarity” with the prisoners in El Salvador and promised to hire “the best law firms” to provide legal assistance. He also stated that in the United States, “there is no rule of law” and that “due process” is not respected.

The tone of Chavista authorities toward the deportees has also changed. “Today, Venezuela welcomes them with love, affection, and solidarity, with a brotherly embrace for all who come. Without a doubt, this is how governments should work together — without abuse of any kind and without threats,” said Diosdado Cabello, Minister of the Interior and Justice, upon receiving a new group of deportees from Mexico.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox New Radio that he was certain that all the Venezuelans sent to El Salvador were part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua. “But if one of them turns out not to be, then they’re just illegally in our country and the Salvadorans can then deport them to Venezuela,” he said. This comment was made before it was revealed that many deportees did not fit the gang member profile.

“So far, we have no formal information documenting who in that group of migrant prisoners is from the Tren de Aragua,” Ade Ferro, director of the Venezuelan-American Caucus in the U.S. told EL PAÍS. “Some of those detainees even had protected status. Others never left ICE, never set foot on the street. We already have dozens of cases of people who were taken to jail solely for having tattoos” — which are identifiable as part of Salvadoran gang culture but not associated with the Tren de Aragua.

“A show is being put on here to please a certain electorate with a community like the Venezuelan one, which is weak and newly arrived,” added Ferro. The activist says that while confronting and neutralizing a gang like the Tren de Aragua is necessary, the reality is that the Venezuelan community has a very low impact on crime. When decisions are made, Ferro believes it only takes being dark-skinned and not speaking English to become a target.

In this context, Machado’s and the opposition’s unyielding stance against Chavismo could have unforeseen consequences: it may backfire.

Political analyst Carmen Beatriz Fernández explained: “Amidst this very complicated situation, María Corina’s statement went as far as it could; it was impossible to go any further. The issue is that this reality makes the arguments of her critics — both from the opposition and Chavismo — resonate even more strongly. In each of these processes, people have great hope for political change, and they might end up blaming those closest to them rather than the real culprit.”

The U.S. government’s internal dynamics and the aggressive actions of the White House have placed Venezuela in a precarious situation where everyone bears the cost. “The Venezuelan leadership must keep its feet on the ground,” said Ferro. “Donald Trump is not interested in Venezuela. We Venezuelans living abroad need to understand that we are being represented. The truth is that we are alone everywhere in the world.”

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