Relatives of deported Venezuelans take to streets in Caracas to protest injustice, demand release

Record ID: 1985989

  • Title: Relatives of deported Venezuelans take to streets in Caracas to protest injustice, demand release
  • Date: 26th March 2025
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) GRANDMOTHER OF VENEZUELAN MIGRANT DETAINED IN EL SALVADOR, NORIS CARRASQUEL, SAYING: "He was deceived, they said they were going to bring him to Venezuela and then they did that savagery. My grandson was deceived. I remember his last words, 'I'm going to Venezuela.' To this day he is still kidnapped, but I have faith that my grandson will return to me
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: El Salvador Venezuelans habeas corpus march prison protest relatives
  • Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • Country: Venezuela
  • Topics: South America / Central America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA005164825032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: PART AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING
    Venezuelans took to the streets of the country's capital of Caracas on Tuesday (March 25) demanding the return of migrants sent to El Salvador as part of a U.S. deportation operation.
    Dozens held signs and shouted slogans calling on El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to send their loved ones home.
    U.S. President Donald Trump this month invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, which he said allowed him to deport alleged members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The migrants are being held in El Salvador under an agreement with Bukele's government.
    Family members of many of the deported Venezuelan migrants deny the alleged gang ties.
    "We need freedom for our brothers, our cousins, our children who need us so much, they are not criminals, they have no proof that they are criminals." said protester Wisleidy Gutierrez, a relative of a detained migrant.
    The deported migrants are currently incarcerated in a Salvadoran mega-jail known as CECOT.
    Meanwhile, a law firm on Monday (March 24) presented a habeas corpus lawsuit to El Salvador's Supreme Court in defense of 30 Venezuelan citizens jailed in the Central American nation.
    A lawyer at the site said that while 30 had granted them the powers of attorney to represent them, they would request habeas corpus for the rest of the Venezuelans detained in the country.
    (Production: Efrain Otero, Johnny Carvajal, Gloria Lopez)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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