Venezuelan migrants are increasing their protests at the southern border of Mexico with a sit-in due to the alleged refusal of Nicolás Maduro's government to manage repatriation flights. Although Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that these flights have already resumed.
Venezuelans, who account for a quarter of irregular migration in Mexico, have intensified their demands outside the Siglo 21 station of the National Institute of Migration (INM) in Tapachula. They shout: 'We want to go back!'. Thais Aguilar, one of the protesters, told EFE that they will concentrate 'day and night' in front of Siglo 21 to get answers about humanitarian flights.
Amid the protests, another protester, Dailani Aguilar, who has been in Tapachula for three months waiting for a voluntary repatriation flight, shared her experience and the request for both governments to coordinate the flights. Aguilar described the dangerous and difficult conditions they went through to arrive in Mexico, where they now feel trapped.
The protests intensified after Sheinbaum assured that air returns resumed, acknowledging the previous limited availability of the Venezuelan government to receive repatriation flights. However, that possibility has now opened, and several flights have taken place. Venezuelan migrants were stranded due to the policies of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The coordination between Mexican and Venezuelan authorities to address the lists of people who need to leave on humanitarian flights has been a source of complaint among migrants. Greta Guevara pointed out the lack of information about the process and mentioned that initially, they were told that Mexicans would carry the list and consider the documents submitted since February.
Sheinbaum reported that in the first eight weeks of Trump's presidency, Mexico received 24,413 deportees from the United States, including 4,567 foreigners. The Mexican president has promised assistance to manage the regularization of migrants or to facilitate their return to their country.
