The families of the Venezuelan migrants kidnapped in El Salvador were received this Thursday by President Nicolás Maduro, who heard each of the complaints from the fathers, mothers, siblings, and other relatives of those currently being held in a maximum-security prison in the country led by Nayib Bukele.
The information was released by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela's designated peace talks representative, Jorge Rodríguez. "Today at Miraflores Palace, the President of the Republic, Nicolás Maduro Moros, accompanied by the First Lady of the Republic, Cilia Flores de Maduro, and also by Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, Vice President for Social Affairs Héctor Rodríguez, and myself, held a meeting with the families of our brothers and sisters kidnapped in El Salvador."
He then proceeded to introduce several family members and noted that "it is important that the people of Venezuela hear firsthand from the families of our kidnapped brothers and sisters, (...) the truth about these sisters, these brothers who are going to be rescued by the force of truth, by the force of God, and by the force of the people of Venezuela."
"The United States government deceived migrants waiting for a flight to be repatriated, sending them to concentration camps in El Salvador. We will not rest until we rescue them. This homeland awaits them with open arms!" he emphasized.
Rodríguez stated that "we are going to move heaven and earth. We are going to talk to whomever we need to talk to. We are going to do whatever it takes to bring all the Venezuelan women and men from the United States of America back to us, but above all, so that the 240 Venezuelans kidnapped in El Salvador can come and return to the safety of their families in their homeland, in their territory, in the homeland we all hold in our hearts."
They all had known jobs
Rodríguez pointed out that all of the kidnapped individuals had known professions and worked in the United States, which demonstrates the falsity of the accusations that they are criminals.
He reported that many were removed from offices, public streets, their workplaces, and even from the immigration offices where they had gone to express their desire to be transferred to Venezuela and regularize their status.
However, they were illegally detained and sent to a maximum security prison in El Salvador.
Women in men's prisons
Rodríguez also noted that eight Venezuelan women were taken to El Salvador.
"How is it possible that Bukele accepts, allows, and even charges money for kidnapping young people who have committed absolutely no crime, neither in El Salvador, nor in the United States of America, nor in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela?" he reiterated.
He described the incident as "a vulgar kidnapping, and they are subjecting innocent young people to slave labor. How is it possible that eight young Venezuelan women have been taken to El Salvador and are being held there in a high-security prison where only men are held?"
He questioned the kidnapping of even a minor. "How is it possible that they kidnapped a person, a minor. He turned 20 years old, and in the United States, the age of majority is 21? He turned 20 while detained in one of those detention centers. How is it possible that they took innocent young people to El Salvador and left behind wives, children who at this point have no idea what they might do?" he explained.
The State Department prevents repatriation
Rodríguez also denied the reports that Venezuela does not want to bring in Venezuelans.
"Who is preventing these flights from taking place? It's the State Department of the United States government. We repeat, we are ready to search for whoever we need to search for in the United States of America on the established frequency. If it were up to us, we would bring them all in. If it were up to us, we wouldn't leave a single Venezuelan to be mistreated in the United States of America," he added.
He added, "We will not rest, and I am referring to all the people of Venezuela, to President Nicolás Maduro, to the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, to the National Assembly, and above all to the mothers and fathers of these children. We will not rest until we see them landing at Simón Bolívar de Maiquetía Airport here in their homeland, in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. We will not rest, and we will achieve this," he stated.
Relatives speak out about the atrocities
Relatives of the Venezuelan migrants also testified at the end of the meeting. They stated that none of those detained in the Central American country had committed any crime.
Jetsi Artiaga, who was introduced by Rodríguez as "a mother of one of the kidnapped brothers," said what happened was an atrocity.
"We came today to denounce the atrocity being committed against our children, since none of them have been convicted; they are all innocent, not because we say so, but because it has been proven."
She indicated that those who kidnapped them "are actually committing a crime against our children (…). We're really asking for help, everyone's help with signatures, with taking to the streets if necessary, but we need our children back. Please, we need all of your help," she expressed, visibly moved.
Meanwhile, Osvaldo Moreno, father of another kidnapped Venezuelan, said, "I come to make a complaint to the world, to the country that we are raising awareness about, that what they are doing here is a total injustice; they are destroying our lives, our hearts."
He asserted that "here there are devastated parents, devastated families, innocent children who are in that maximum security prison alongside criminals, simply because of our nationality, because we are Venezuelan. Let that circus fall, that demonic duo of President Trump and Bukele, let us open our Venezuelan eyes, today it is us, but we all run that risk simply because we are Venezuelan. Migrating is not a crime," he expressed.
He continued, stating that "our children have not committed any crime, and it has already been proven because it has been verified. Everyone there is innocent. Their only crime before this demonic duo is being Venezuelan. Let us defend our nationality before the world and international human rights organizations, so that they may please raise their voices against this atrocity."
News in development ...
