Repatriation flights from the United States to Venezuela resume

The Great Mission Return to the Homeland, a Venezuelan government program responsible for coordinating the return of citizens from abroad, reported that among the passengers there were 132 men and 15 women.

Venezuela received 147 citizens repatriated from the United States this Monday, August 3, in the first operation of this kind carried out after the earthquakes on June 24.

The group arrived on a plane from Miami that landed in Barcelona, Anzoátegui state. The airport in that city has taken on part of the air operations due to the damage suffered by Simón Bolívar International Airport, located in La Guaira, one of the areas hardest hit by the quakes.

The Great Mission Return to the Homeland, a Venezuelan government program responsible for coordinating the return of citizens from abroad, reported that among the passengers there were 132 men and 15 women.

The aircraft completed repatriation flight number 165 since January 2025, when Caracas and Washington reached a migration agreement to facilitate the transfer of Venezuelans from U.S. territory.

The main airport remains partially closed

The previous operation took place on June 24. On that occasion, flight 164 transported 146 Venezuelans from Miami, including seven children, and landed at Simón Bolívar International Airport just a few hours before the double earthquake that left at least 6,125 dead.

According to the acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, work is being done through an “international alliance” to recover the country’s main airport, although she did not identify the governments or organizations involved.

Rodríguez also pointed out that authorities hope to open a parallel runway to resume some commercial flights, but he didn’t specify when those operations might start. 

The government also announced that Simón Bolívar Airport will resume cargo flights starting August 5.