Rubio threatens Venezuela with new sanctions
Venezuela is facing a stern warning from Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the acceptance of its deported citizens from the United States. Rubio stated that if Venezuela refuses to accept these citizens, they will face “severe, and escalating sanctions.” This tough stance is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to increase deportations of Venezuelans living illegally in the U.S. and to establish a temporary residency program for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, potentially putting their legal status at risk.
Many of the Venezuelans with protected status in the U.S. migrated during Venezuela’s economic collapse under President Nicolas Maduro’s authoritarian rule. Rubio emphasized that Venezuela is obligated to accept its repatriated citizens without debate or negotiation. Failure to do so will result in new sanctions being imposed by the U.S.
The threat of sanctions comes after President Trump’s special envoy, Richard Grenell, confirmed that the Maduro government had agreed to accept repatriation flights. Initially, Maduro had refused to accept his citizens back, but he eventually agreed to do so.
In February, Trump took action to end a permit allowing Chevron to export oil from Venezuela to the U.S. This decision was made due to Maduro’s failure to meet benchmarks for free and fair elections. Additionally, the Trump administration is working to deport Venezuelan gang members back to their country. Despite a federal judge temporarily blocking the deportations, 238 Venezuelan gang members were flown to a high-security prison in El Salvador over the weekend.
During an interview, Rubio expressed gratitude to El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for accepting the migrants. He highlighted the importance of countries like El Salvador stepping in when Venezuela refuses to cooperate. Rubio commended Bukele for his willingness to take in the deportees at a fraction of the cost of housing them in U.S. prisons.
The situation underscores the challenges faced by both the U.S. and Venezuela in handling deportations and repatriations. The Trump administration is leveraging sanctions and diplomatic efforts to compel Venezuela to accept its citizens, while also seeking support from allies like El Salvador. The ongoing tensions between the two countries highlight the complex political and humanitarian issues at play in the region.
