Close to 700 Venezuelan migrants return home
Close to 700 Venezuelan nationals will return to their country today on a repatriation trip organized by the Venezuelan Embassy.
A total of 680 nationals will board the Paraguana I vessel, which docked at the Cruise Ship Complex in Port of Spain this morning.
As early as 6 am, migrants began lining up at the port for the voluntary repatriation exercise.
Venezuelan Ambassador Carlos Perez, who was on hand to oversee the voluntary repatriation exercise, spoke with reporters about the trip.
He said: "The process is going very well so far. As you can see, plenty of Venezuelans would like to go back to their homeland. Roughly, we have registered around 700 people. They're supposed to leave today."
"In the case of Trinidad and Tobago, this exercise is the first one, as far as I can recall, that is going to be maritime," he added.
Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Dr Amery Browne, Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds, and Communications Minister Symon de Nobriga were also present to examine the logistics of the repatriation exercise.
The communications minister commented: "These migrants have found themselves here and they are now finding their way back home, ably supported by their government and Embassy here."
According to reports in the Venezuelan media, yesterday’s returning migrants were the second group to leave T&T in recent days. Delta Amacuro State Governor Lizeta Hernandez announced on Monday that 120 Venezuelans had returned to Tucupita.
The group that left yesterday were due to dock in Anzoategui state
This year, scores of Venezuelans hit by unemployment and the inability to pay rent for their apartments due to the COVID-19 crisis have left this country in reparation exercises coordinated with Caracas.
In late February, a flight between Piarco and Caracas carried 95 people, including three children.
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