Venezuela to Stand Firm Against Additional Deportation Flights Amid Intensified U.S. Economic Penalties
Article Reboot:
Stirring Up Some Heat, March 9, 2025 - The Venezuelan government has thrown down the gauntlet to US officials, refusing to collaborate on more deportation flights following a recent escalation of economic pressures.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the government led by President Nicolás Maduro has issued a stern warning to the Trump administration. If the US doesn't ease up on its tough stance against Venezuela, Caracas won't consent to any further repatriations of its citizens now residing in the US.
So far, the Maduro administration has kept quiet on this matter, with the Journal's sources claiming to be familiar with the situation.
In a bitter pill, Venezuela has returned three groups of citizens after high-profile discussions with White House Special Envoy Richard Grenell. The flights moved people from Texas, Guantanamo (via Honduras), and Mexico. However, Venezuelan authorities haven't clarified whether the Mexican families had been deported from the US to Mexico and then repatriated, or if they simply failed to cross the border.
The Trump administration has been cracking down on migrants since its early days in office, with a special focus on Venezuelans. The Department of Homeland Security rescinded Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for these migrants, potentially leaving as many as 600,000 at risk of deportation.
Recently, the Treasury Department withdrew a license allowing energy giant Chevron to operate in Venezuela. This move could nudge Venezuela into refusing US further cooperation in deportation matters.
In response, the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License 41A, giving Chevron a 30-day window to wrap up its operations in South America. Initially, Washington had aimed for engagement with Caracas – but the White House's economic pressure seemed to have hardened as it geared up for a crucial budget vote.
Florida representatives Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Gimenez, and Maria Elvira Salazar played a crucial role in the budget's narrow approval. Although they were against cancellation of TPS, which affected their constituencies, they focused their lobbying efforts on harsher sanctions against Venezuela.
The removal of General License 41 undid the Biden administration's only significant departure from the "maximum pressure" sanctions policy put in place during Trump's first term. In October 2023, the Biden White House issued General License 44, allowing Venezuela to export crude without deep discounts or untrustworthy intermediaries. However, widespread restrictions were reinstated after six months.
Crucially, the US has targeted Venezuela’s oil sector, which generates the country's primary revenue. US Treasury coercive measures include financial sanctions, an export embargo, and secondary sanctions.
Chevron currently owns minority stakes in four joint projects, which pump an estimated 200,000 barrels per day (bpd), accounting for just under a quarter of the industry's total output. The impending exit of Chevron may affect Venezuela's ability to maintain social spending and lead to higher inflation.
Not stopping there, US officials have reportedly granted similar 30-day wind-down periods to French corporation Maurel & Prom and the US' Global Oil Terminals. The latter conglomerate, owned by magnate Harry Sargeant III, had secured a significant asphalt import deal until 2026.
European companies Eni (Italy) and Repsol (Spain) have increased their activities in Venezuela, following US Treasury approval. They are expected to depart in the coming weeks. Indian refining giant Reliance Industries was given permission to import Venezuelan crude, but the arrangement's status remains uncertain.
Due to these sanctions, Venezuela's dealings with international partners may help state oil company PDVSA access the diluents and light crude necessary to produce export blends and fuel. The recent sanctions escalation could also lead to gasoline and diesel shortages.
In defense, the Maduro government criticized the Chevron sanctions waiver withdrawal as "damaging and inexplicable" and accused its US counterpart of bowing to pressure from Venezuela's hardline opposition.
Venezuelan authorities have activated an "Absolute Productive Independence" plan to ensure the stability of the energy sector, and Maduro vowed that the oil sector would continue on its upward trajectory despite the tightening of coercive measures.
Originally written by José Luis Granados Ceja in Mexico City, Mexico.
Enrichment Data Snippets:- There has been a termination of the 2023 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Venezuelans, affecting approximately 350,000 individuals by April 7, 2025. On March 31, 2025, a federal judge in California blocked the termination, reinstating protections while litigation continues.- The Biden administration’s termination attempt and subsequent judicial block highlight ongoing tensions over immigration policy and Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis. Key player Sen. Tim Kaine has challenged the termination decision, arguing that Venezuela's conditions warrant continued protections.
- Venezuelan authorities have accused the US of bowing to pressure from Venezuela's hardline opposition, following the withdrawal of a waiver for energy giant Chevron to operate in Venezuela.
- The US has targeted Venezuela’s oil sector, which generates the country’s primary revenue, with financial sanctions, an export embargo, and secondary sanctions.
- The removal of General License 41 undid the Biden administration’s only significant departure from the "maximum pressure" sanctions policy put in place during Trump’s first term.
- Not stopping there, US officials have reportedly granted similar 30-day wind-down periods to French corporation Maurel & Prom and the US' Global Oil Terminals, which secured a significant asphalt import deal until 2026.
- In defense, the Maduro government has activated an "Absolute Productive Independence" plan to ensure the stability of the energy sector and has vowed that the oil sector would continue on its upward trajectory despite the tightening of coercive measures.
- In response to the Chevron sanctions waiver withdrawal, the Venezuelan government has issued a strong policy-and-legislation response, aiming to maintain stability in the extraction sector and minimize the impact on general-news items such as car-accidents, fires, and crime-and-justice.
- Despite the ongoing war-and-conflicts and political instability in Venezuela, sports-betting platforms have shown a growing interest in the country, as they look for new opportunities for expansion in the Latin American market.
