The White House confirmed this Friday that Richard Grenell, who was the special envoy of Donald Trump, traveled to Venezuela to meet with President Nicolás Maduro. The White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, made the announcement during a press briefing.
The Purpose of the Trip: Repatriation and Release of Detainees
White House @PressSec Karoline Leavitt Briefs Members of the Media – Jan. 31, 2025 https://t.co/KmgQmuY1U4
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 31, 2025
Leavitt explained that Grenell traveled to Caracas by direct order of Donald Trump. The main goal of this meeting is to get the Maduro government to accept the repatriation flights of members of the criminal megagroup Tren de Aragua and to ensure the release of American citizens detained in Venezuela.
“As I mentioned a few days ago, we hope all nations cooperate with the repatriation of their citizens. That’s why Richard Grenell is in Venezuela to ensure this process can continue,” Leavitt stated.
Finally, she emphasized that the U.S. government will provide a detailed report once Grenell’s visit to Venezuela is over. Additionally, she clarified that this meeting should not be interpreted as the United States recognizing Maduro as president.
Grenell’s Arrival in Caracas
Grenell arrived in the afternoon of this Friday in the city of Caracas, where he was received by the President of the National Assembly (AN), Jorge Rodríguez, and the Foreign Minister Yván Gil.
According to TeleSur journalist Madelein García, the meeting between Grenell and Maduro was scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
Venezuela’s Minister of Communication and Information, Freddy Ñáñez, confirmed the meeting via his Telegram account, despite the Trump administration continuing to recognize the opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia as the “elected president” of Venezuela.
“Súper confirmado,” Ñáñez wrote, sharing a message from journalist Karen Méndez, who indicated that sources from Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry informed her that Grenell had requested a formal audience with Maduro.
“The audience has been accepted, and it was mentioned that President Maduro will propose a ‘zero agenda’ for the meeting,” Méndez added.
Changes in Trump’s Immigration Policies
The meeting between Grenell and Maduro comes after the Trump administration announced the revocation of the extension of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelan migrants. This TPS had been established during Joe Biden’s administration for a period of 18 months.
This measure is part of Trump’s efforts to tighten immigration policies, which also included previous attempts to eliminate similar protections for migrants from other countries like Haiti, El Salvador, and Sudan, although some of those efforts were blocked by federal courts.
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