The president of the country, Nicolás Maduro, publicly expressed his gratitude to the US government, led by Donald Trump, for rectifying its position and facilitating the negotiations that led to the release of 252 people who were being held in a detention center in El Salvador under the government of Nayib Bukele:
“I am honored to thank Donald Trump and Marco Rubio for rectifying this situation, allowing these families to reunite with their loved ones in freedom”, stated Maduro during his “ConMaduro+” program, in the “Más Humanidad” (More Humanity) segment.
He also recognized the work of the US special envoy, Richard Grenell, emphasizing that, despite political differences, it is important to value gestures of cooperation. He also praised Ambassador John McNamara, whom he described as a connoisseur and admirer of Bolivarian history, as well as a respected interlocutor in the talks with the State Department.
Regarding the release of the Venezuelan migrants, Maduro highlighted the work of Venezuelan negotiator Jorge Rodríguez, who—according to the president—faced the maneuvers of Bukele, whom he qualified as «the Central American Hitler» for trying to sabotage the agreement.
«We exchanged 10 individuals for 252 innocent people, and I don’t regret it. If necessary, I would do it again with the approval of the Venezuelan justice system,» said the president, contrasting this case with that of Alex Saab, who remained detained in Cape Verde for three years.
Maduro revealed that Bukele tried to prevent the takeoff of the second plane carrying the freed migrants by deploying vehicles on the runway in order to cause an accident. However, the pilots alerted the authorities, and Ambassador McNamara negotiated with Washington to resolve the conflict. Rodríguez asserted that, despite the obstructions, U.S. diplomatic intervention succeeded in halting the actions by the Salvadoran government.