In the photo: Presidential envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, oversees the boarding of deported migrants onto a Conviasa airline flight in El Paso, Texas, as posted on his social media.
Guacamaya, March 13, 2025. American diplomat Richard Grenell announced on Thursday morning that Venezuela will once again accept repatriation flights from the United States. The statement, shared via X, added that the first flights will arrive on Friday.
Grenell, the presidential envoy for special missions under Donald Trump, met with Nicolás Maduro on January 31 to agree on the resumption of deportations of Venezuelans from the United States. The flights would always be operated by the Venezuelan state airline, Conviasa.
However, the Venezuelan leader ordered the cancellation of the flights shortly after the White House ended General License 41. This license had allowed the oil giant Chevron to operate in Venezuela despite sanctions. On March 8, Maduro stated that “communications have been damaged” as a result of the cancellation.
Grenell’s statement does not indicate whether there were further negotiations, for example, regarding sanctions on the oil sector. However, it could suggest that dialogue between Washington DC and Caracas has reopened. Several channels of communication have been maintained between the two governments despite the tightening of sanctions, and representatives from both sides have expressed interest in resuming talks.
General License 41 is the most significant authorization for the Venezuelan economy. However, there are other specific licenses for energy companies, particularly European ones, that have not been canceled as of today.
