U.S. Suspends Venezuelan Repatriation Amid Rising Tensions

The U.S. has suspended a repatriation flight for Venezuelan migrants, heightening tensions between both nations. This decision comes amid a U.S. military build-up in the Caribbean and the seizing of a sanctioned Venezuelan oil tanker. More than 18,000 Venezuelans have been repatriated this year.

The United States has abruptly suspended a scheduled repatriation flight for Venezuelan migrants, as announced by Venezuela's interior ministry late Thursday. This development further strains the fraught relations between the two nations. The decision coincides with heightened U.S. military presence in the Caribbean region, a move linked to President Trump's campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Earlier this week, a significant escalation occurred when the U.S. seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast. The halt of the repatriation flight, initially set for Friday, interrupts a previously coordinated process between the U.S. and Venezuela to return citizens who fled economic hardships.

Despite this setback, the Venezuelan interior ministry expressed hope that the U.S. would correct what it termed a unilateral decision that contradicted prior agreements. Repatriation flights, which resumed earlier this year after a temporary suspension, have returned over 18,000 Venezuelans this year alone, primarily from the United States.

(With inputs from agencies.)