By William Camacaro National Co-Coordinator
Venezuelan girl kidnapped by the United States has returned to Venezuela
The ordeal of two-year-old Maikelys Espinoza, separated from her mother for over a year, has concluded with her return to Venezuela. Her parents had immigrated to the United States and briefly resided in El Paso, Texas, where they worked as farmers. Upon the couple’s arrival in the United States last year, their one-year-old baby was taken from them and sent to foster families. On March 30 of this year, her father, Maiker Espinoza-Escalona, was sent first to Guantanamo Bay and then to the Anti-Terrorist Internment Center (CECOT) in El Salvador. Her mother, Yorelys Bernal, was imprisoned in Texas and on April 25th, was deported to Venezuela without her two-year-old daughter, through Venezuela’s “Plan Vuelta a la Patria” program, despite being given assurances that her daughter would be traveling with her. Bernal’s arrival in Venezuela was marked by profound distress and despair over the separation from her child.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had cited alleged connections between the parents and the Tren de Aragua criminal gang to justify the separation of the Venezuelan minor from her family. Ms. Bernal denies these accusations. This gang was dismantled years ago and no longer exists.
A moment of joy unfolded in Miraflores Palace today as First Lady Cilia Flores de Maduro reunited baby Maikelys with her mother. President Maduro addressed the media, expressing his hope for the return of over 250 Venezuelans abducted by US authorities and deported to El Salvador where they are still being held in CECOT.
This development follows recent conflicting information regarding a separate event. Ten days prior, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed a U.S.-led mission in Venezuela had successfully rescued five Venezuelan opposition members. However, the State Department subsequently contradicted the Secretary’s account.
During a press conference last Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce firmly dismissed a question from Venezuelan journalist Carla Angola about an alleged “rescue or extraction” of individuals detained in the Argentine embassy in Caracas. Ms. Bruce stated, “That sounds like something out of a movie. I’m not going to comment on gossip, speculation, or unbelievable stories.”
According to Venezuelan Vice Minister of Anti-Blockade Policies, William Castillo, the return of Maikelys was the result of a negotiation between the two countries. He stated there were no dramatic actions, injuries, or casualties involved in the process, refuting claims of a covert mission to free the individuals in the Argentine Embassy. Mr. Castillo suggested that the rumors of a rescue operation were exaggerated. The outcome, he explained, was the granting of five safe-conduct passes for those in the Argentine Embassy in exchange for the handover of Maikelys.
Marco Rubio’s comment was quoted as if it were true. by several international news outlets, including BBC, France 24, New York Times, WSJ, and The Guardian.
Further context is provided by a Washington Post report stating that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard dismissed two senior National Intelligence Council officials after they drafted an assessment that challenged President Donald Trump’s rationale for invoking the Alien Enemies Act to deport suspected Venezuelan gang members without due process. Additionally, a Washington Post article on May 5th cited U.S. intelligence agencies as claiming that the Venezuelan government does not direct or facilitate the operations of Venezuelan gangs in the United States.
The “Plan Vuelta a la Patria” (Return to the Homeland) is a Venezuelan government initiative designed to assist Venezuelans abroad who wish to return to their country. The program offers support in various aspects of the return process, including legal aid, educational and cultural integration, and socioeconomic assistance. To date, this program has facilitated the return of over 4,157 Venezuelan migrants.
