United States Secures Legal Authority Over Apprehended Venezuelans in El Salvador, while Caracas Insists on Repatriation of Minor Migrants
In recent developments, the Maduro government has been actively seeking the repatriation of 31 Venezuelan children who are reportedly separated from their parents and currently held in US custody. However, updates on the current status of these children remain unclear.
In a notable case, a two-year-old Venezuelan girl, Maikelys Antonella Espinoza, was repatriated to Venezuela and reunited with her mother in May, following a year under US foster care.
Meanwhile, in El Salvador, the government has confirmed that US legal jurisdiction extends over more than 200 Venezuelan migrants detained in its facilities, including the CECOT prison. Recent developments suggest that El Salvador will repatriate some 300 Venezuelan migrants, though it is uncertain whether all 252 detainees in CECOT will be included.
The detention and potential repatriation of these individuals remain contentious issues, with the Venezuelan government pressing for their return and criticizing US and Salvadoran actions. Legal challenges and diplomatic negotiations are ongoing, with courts in the US scrutinizing the legality of these detentions and jurisdictional arrangements.
Notably, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has expressed serious concern over the forced expulsion of migrants to third countries. He has called on the US Government to ensure compliance with due process, to give prompt and full effect to the determinations of its courts, to safeguard the rights of children, and to stop the removal of any individual to any country where there is a real risk of torture or other irreparable harm.
The situation has sparked protests, with thousands of Venezuelans marching in Caracas on July 11, 2025, demanding the repatriation of the children and the safe return of Venezuelans illegally detained in El Salvador. The demonstration, led by the ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) and joined by relatives of the Venezuelan children held in the US, originated from the United Nations (UN) headquarters in the Venezuelan capital.
Civil society organizations in the US, as well as relatives of Venezuelan children separated from their parents, have launched a campaign to compel the UN to take further action regarding human rights violations by the US. Additionally, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez has joined a group of mothers in demanding the children's prompt return to their families in Venezuela.
Lawyers representing Venezuelan men believed to be held in CECOT have told the UN Human Rights Office that the detainees were not informed of the US' intention to deport them to a third country, that they did not have access to a lawyer, and that they were denied the opportunity to challenge their deportations. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is currently conducting a probe into the forced expulsion of a group of mostly Venezuelan men to El Salvador.
The ongoing saga involving the detention and potential repatriation of these individuals continues to garner international attention and calls for action. As the situation unfolds, it is crucial that the rights of these individuals are upheld and that they are returned to their families as soon as possible.
- Migration and politics have become highly contentious issues, especially concerning Venezuelan children separated from their families in the US, with protests demanding their repatriation and safety.
- In the realm of war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice, legal challenges and diplomatic negotiations are ongoing to ensure compliance with due process, safeguarding the rights of children, and stopping the removal of individuals to countries where there's a risk of harm.
- As policy-and-legislation, the US Government is under scrutiny for human rights violations related to Venezuelan migrants detained in El Salvador, with civil society organizations and Venezuelan government officials urging the UN to take further action for the children's prompt return and protection.
