This Friday afternoon, Richard Grenell, special envoy of President Donald Trump, arrived in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. Grenell is expected to meet with President Nicolás Maduro, who assumed a third term on January 10, despite opposition allegations claiming that Edmundo González Urrutia was the real winner of the July 28 elections.
NEWS: Richard Grenell, President Donald Trump’s envoy for special missions, is expected to meet with Venezuela’s authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro in the country on Friday, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.
— Kristen Holmes (@KristenhCNN) January 31, 2025
Official Reception in Caracas
Upon arrival, Grenell was received by Jorge Rodríguez, President of the National Assembly (AN), and Yván Gil, Venezuela’s foreign minister.
The Scheduled Meeting and What We Know
According to TeleSur journalist Madelein García, the meeting was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Friday. However, at the time of writing this article, neither Venezuela nor the United States have provided further details on what was discussed in the meeting.
#BREAKING: @RichardGrenell will meet @NicolasMaduro in #Caracas today, @cnni has learnt.
They expect to discuss deportation flights to #Venezuela #Panitas: @RichardGrenell meets @NicolasMaduro in #Caracas today to discuss deportation flights #ThisIsVzla pic.twitter.com/zZeFdXZeWK— stefano pozzebon (@StePozzebon) January 31, 2025
What Is Known About the Topics Discussed?
On Friday morning, Florida Senator Rick Scott confirmed that Grenell would meet with Maduro to discuss topics such as the deportation flights of Venezuelan migrants from the United States.
Espero que durante la visita de hoy, lo único en lo que se centre @RichardGrenell sea exigir el regreso de los estadounidenses secuestrados, asegurar que Maduro devuelva a los matones y a los miembros de las pandillas de nuestro país, y encontrar un nuevo país para que Maduro,… https://t.co/91lLM2sgBi
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) January 31, 2025
Rick Scott also shared his opinion on the visit on his X (formerly Twitter) account. He wrote:
“I hope that during today’s visit, the only focus of Richard Grenell will be to demand the return of the kidnapped Americans and ensure that Maduro hands over the thugs and gang members in our country. I also hope he finds a new place for Maduro, Diosdado Cabello, and anyone else involved in this violent regime to relocate as quickly as possible,” Scott commented.
The Context of Grenell’s Visit
This meeting between Grenell and Maduro comes right after the Trump administration announced the revocation of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelan migrants. This measure had been established by the Joe Biden administration for a period of 18 months.
This change is part of Trump’s efforts to toughen immigration policies, which have also affected migrants from other countries like Haiti, El Salvador, and Sudan. Although some of these policies were blocked by federal courts, the Trump administration continues to push for their implementation.
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