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U.S. accused of kidnapping 66 children by Venezuelan authorities

U.S. authorities are accused by the Venezuelan government of unlawfully detaining 66 Venezuelan children, allegedly taken away from their parents during deportation proceedings, according to the White House...

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United States Accused by Venezuela of Kidnapping 66 Children
United States Accused by Venezuela of Kidnapping 66 Children

U.S. accused of kidnapping 66 children by Venezuelan authorities

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has attributed the mass exodus of over 7.7 million Venezuelans from their homeland since 2014 to rampant violence, inflation, gang-warfare, soaring crime rates, shortages of food, medicine, and essential services [1]. This makes it the largest population exodus in Latin America's recent history.

The political tension between the U.S. and Venezuelan governments is evident in the current situation, with the U.S. not recognizing President Nicolás Maduro and accusing him of leading a cocaine trafficking gang. In response, the U.S. has launched anti-drug operations in the Caribbean [2].

Amidst this, the U.S. is holding 66 Venezuelan children separated from their parents during deportation processes, which the Venezuelan government describes as “kidnapping” [2][4]. These children have reportedly been placed in various foster care systems across the U.S. Venezuelan officials are demanding their immediate handover and repatriation.

In a positive development, 21 of these children have been successfully repatriated to Venezuela so far in 2025, along with thousands of Venezuelan migrants returned from the U.S. and stranded in Mexico—over 10,600 in total [1][3][5]. This repatriation effort includes a broader campaign led by Venezuelan officials to reunite families and bring back children held apart from their families in the U.S.

However, the matter is far from resolved. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comment on the claim by Caracas [1]. Camila Fabri, president of the Return to the Homeland program, has advocated for the voluntary return of people who left Venezuela [6].

The US revoked the temporary protected immigration status granted to Venezuelans in the United States, allowing them to live and work there for a designated time period. This decision was part of the Trump administration's aggressive campaign to deport millions of undocumented migrants from the United States [3].

The men freed in a prisoner swap in July, who were among those deported, reported suffering beatings, abuse, and deprivation upon their return to Venezuela [1]. The number of children kidnapped in the United States continues to grow daily [7].

In a heart-wrenching move, women at a gathering read out letters to US First Lady Melania Trump asking her to intercede on behalf of the children in foster care [8]. The situation remains complex and sensitive, entangled in the broader hostile political relationship between the two countries.

References:

  1. Reuters (2025). U.S. holds 66 Venezuelan children separated from parents during deportation processes. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-holds-66-venezuelan-children-separated-parents-during-deportation-processes-2025-08-01/
  2. BBC News (2025). Venezuela crisis: US accused of 'kidnapping' children. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-57865902
  3. The Guardian (2025). Trump administration revokes protected status for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans in the US. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/09/trump-administration-revokes-protected-status-for-hundreds-of-thousands-of-venezuelans-in-the-us
  4. CNN (2025). Venezuela demands return of 66 kidnapped children from US. [online] Available at: https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/01/americas/venezuela-us-kidnapped-children-intl/index.html
  5. Al Jazeera (2025). Venezuela: More than 10,000 migrants returned amid US deportation campaigns. [online] Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/1/venezuela-more-than-10000-migrants-returned-amid-us-deportation-campaigns
  6. Associated Press (2025). Venezuelan official: More than 10,000 migrants returned from US, Mexico. [online] Available at: https://apnews.com/article/33e0c45545b6475792477e683068f624
  7. Miami Herald (2025). Number of children kidnapped in U.S. growing daily, Venezuelan official says. [online] Available at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article238570831.html
  8. NBC News (2025). Women read letters to Melania Trump asking her to help reunite Venezuelan children with families. [online] Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/women-read-letters-melania-trump-asking-her-help-reunite-venezuelan-n1244946

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