Nicolás Maduro has expressed strong disapproval of the United States' decision to terminate the license that allowed the oil company Chevron to operate in Venezuela, claiming it has disrupted the deportation flights of Venezuelan migrants. "Now we have a little problem because their actions have damaged the channels of communication we had established. I was interested in those channels because I wanted to bring back all the Venezuelans who are unjustly detained and persecuted just for being migrants," Maduro stated during an event for International Women's Day broadcast by the state channel, Venezuelan Television (VTV).
The Chavista leader remarked that this decision, made by the Trump Administration, "affected the flights" that Venezuela had planned using aircraft from the state-owned airline Conviasa to return the migrants. "The imperialists made some decisions that backfired on them; they sanctioned an American company, Chevron, which has been operating here for a century," he asserted.
Maduro also mentioned that he has no issue with the American oil company continuing its operations in Venezuela and extended an invitation to "anyone willing" to invest in the Caribbean nation.
Last Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Chavista administration privately warned the U.S. government that it would not welcome back its deported citizens following the termination of Chevron's license. Citing knowledgeable sources, the report highlighted that the repatriation agreement for Venezuelans, which followed a January meeting between Trump's envoy, Richard Grenell, and Maduro, was faltering, and the Chevron issue had strained relations.
On Tuesday, the Trump Administration ended Chevron's license in Venezuela, giving the company a month, until April 3, to exit the country, following the U.S. President's criticism of Maduro for not expediting the deportations of undocumented migrants in the U.S. as swiftly as anticipated.
In February, three flights resulted in approximately 366 Venezuelans being repatriated from the U.S. to Venezuela. Additionally, on February 24, another flight arrived in Caracas with 242 repatriated individuals from Mexico, including women and children, as part of an agreement with that country.
Chevron License Impact and Venezuelan Deportations
How has the revocation of Chevron's license affected Venezuelan deportations?
The revocation has disrupted the planned flights for returning Venezuelan migrants, as it affected the operations of the state-owned airline Conviasa, which was to be used for these repatriation flights.
What was the Trump Administration's stance on Maduro's handling of deportations?
The Trump Administration criticized Maduro for not speeding up the deportations of undocumented Venezuelans in the U.S. as quickly as expected, leading to the decision to revoke Chevron's license.
What was the outcome of the January meeting between Richard Grenell and Nicolás Maduro?
The meeting resulted in a repatriation agreement for Venezuelans, which is now deteriorating due to tensions over the Chevron license revocation.