Venezuelan Opposition Leader Urges Trump to Avoid Deportation Deal with Maduro, Send Deportees To Third Countries

Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González is urging the Trump administration to refrain from reaching a deal with Nicolás Maduro, warning that such a scenario could strengthen the authoritarian leader's grip on power.

González, recognized by the U.S. as Venezuela's president-elect, told The Washington Post that sending deported Venezuelans directly back to Maduro would allow him to use them for political gain. Instead, he is suggesting that deportees be sent to a third country.

"It's in the United States' best interest to follow a strategy that helps ensure Nicolás Maduro is no longer in power," González said. "Once that happens, hundreds of Venezuelans will return to our country."

The Trump administration has pledged to conduct the largest deportation operation in American history, but targeting Venezuelans poses a challenge since Maduro has largely refused to take them back.

Some Latin American governments have also historically refused taking their nationals back. Besides Venezuela, countries such as Cuba, China, and India account for some of the highest numbers of deportable people but have accepted only a fraction. Since 2005, Cuba has taken back just 4,662 of its 42,084 deportable citizens. China and Venezuela show similarly low acceptance rates. In this regard, there are 22,749 deportable Venezuelans in the U.S., but the country has only accepted 5,862 people over the past 20 years.

However, there are some countries reportedly willing to take deportees from third countries. One of them is El Salvador, which is negotiating conditions with the Trump administration. Specifically, the governments are working on an agreement for the Central American nation to be designated as a 'safe third country.' It would entail it taking migrants from other countries and prevent them from requesting asylum in the U.S.

Maduro has signaled a willingness to accept deportation flights in exchange for maintaining oil licenses and increasing crude exports, The Post previously reported. However, opposition leaders warn that any direct engagement with Maduro could lend him legitimacy, and negotiating with the regime could be interpreted as normalizing it.

Maduro claimed a third term earlier this month despite not presenting backing documentation. In contrast, the opposition has shown voting tallies supporting their claim that González won by a landslide. Precinct-level tally sheets, verified by independent election observers, support these claims. González fled Venezuela in September under the threat of arrest and has since been lobbying in Washington to keep U.S. support against Maduro.

During his visit to Washington, González met with newly appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio and opposition leader María Corina Machado. He emphasized the importance of continued U.S. support for Venezuela's transition to democracy.

"As I recently told Secretary of State Marco Rubio: We are counting on you to help us solve our problems, knowing that the problem is ultimately Venezuela's and that we, the Venezuelans, will resolve it," he said. "But for that to happen, we need the support of our international allies."

Trump's first administration imposed heavy sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry in an effort to pressure Maduro, but those efforts failed to oust him. It remains unclear whether his new administration will follow the same approach or pursue direct negotiations.

Richard Grenell, Trump's special envoy for missions, recently signaled an openness to diplomatic engagement, announcing on social media that he had spoken with multiple Venezuelan officials and would begin meetings soon. "Diplomacy is back," Grenell wrote on X. "Talking is a tactic."

The ongoing political crisis has fueled one of the largest displacement movements in the world, with nearly eight million Venezuelans fleeing the country. Hundreds of thousands have sought asylum in the U.S. and have benefited from programs like Temporary Protection Status (TPS) and a humanitarian parole program, both of which Trump has moved to roll back.

However, the Trump administration has rescinded an 18-month extension of deportation protections granted to more than 600,000 Venezuelans by President Joe Biden, a move that could leave them vulnerable to deportation in the coming months.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revoked the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) extension on Tuesday.

Trump has also vowed to dismantle Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that has expanded its influence across Latin America and the U.S. Last week, Chilean prosecutors accused Maduro's government of orchestrating the killing of a dissident former Venezuelan soldier, allegedly carried out by gang members in Chile.

"That is a very serious matter," González said. "And here in the United States, authorities have arrested members of that group. This just underscores why Venezuela's transition to democracy is a national security issue for the region."

González remains hopeful that his efforts in Washington will help pave the way for democratic change. Speaking to Venezuelans in exile at American University in Northwest Washington, where a chorus of "Edmundo! Edmundo!" broke out at American University in Northwest Washington, he urged them to prepare for a return home. "We need you to return because the experience you've gained abroad will be necessary for Venezuela's economic recovery," he said.