In a recent development, Nicols Maduro, the socialist dictator of Venezuela, has hailed the return of two-year-old Venezuelan Maikelys Espinoza as a triumph for his regime.
This follows weeks of unfounded allegations by Maduro that the child had been "abducted" by the United States.
As reported by Breitbart, the child's parents, both members of the Tren de Aragua, had unlawfully entered the United States and were subsequently deported. The Maduro regime has been propagating a narrative that equates these deportations to "kidnappings," with the child's situation serving as the centerpiece of this narrative.
The Maduro regime has also drawn parallels between the deportation of Tren de Aragua members to El Salvador under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act and the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany. Currently, approximately 250 Venezuelan illegal immigrants suspected of being Tren de Aragua members are being held in El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison, as per an agreement between Presidents Donald Trump and Nayib Bukele.
However, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has refuted the Maduro regime's "kidnapping" allegations. In late April, the DHS clarified that the child was placed under foster care in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services after evidence was found linking both her parents to the Tren de Aragua foreign terrorist organization. Both parents had received final orders of removal from a judge.
The child's mother, Yorely Escarleth Bernal, is accused of recruiting young women for drug trafficking and prostitution and was deported to Venezuela. The father, Maiker Espinoza-Escalona, is suspected of being a Tren De Aragua lieutenant, accused of overseeing a range of criminal activities, including homicides, drug sales, kidnappings, extortion, and sex trafficking. Espinoza-Escalona is currently detained in El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison with around 250 other suspected Tren de Aragua members.
The DHS further clarified that the child was in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement for 302 days and was not deported with her Tren de Aragua-affiliated mother for her safety. The DHS stated, "The child in question was repatriated to Venezuela pursuant to a court order. ICE defers to the government of Venezuela to advise if the child is with the mother or in government custody, but at least we know the child will not be with her TDA father who operated a torture house and oversaw homicides, drug sales, kidnappings, extortion, and sex trafficking for the criminal gang."
Upon her arrival at Venezuela's Simn Bolvar International Airport, the child was received by Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, a wanted accused drug lord. She was then transported to the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas, where Maduro hosted a reunion between the child, her previously deported mother, and her grandmother.
Maduro, in his address, claimed the repatriation of the minor child as a "victory" of the Venezuelan people. He expressed his hope to "rescue" Maikelys' father and the 253 Venezuelans detained in El Salvador soon. Despite acknowledging his "differences" with President Trump, Maduro thanked him and Presidential Envoy for Special Missions Richard Grenell for the return of the child. He stated, "On a day where you feel it's all worthwhile, to thank so many efforts, I have to thank in fairness Ambassador Ric Grenell, President Donald Trump's special envoy, for his efforts, and with Ambassador Ric Grenell, to thank President Donald Trump as well."
The United Nations estimates that about 7.9 million Venezuelans have fled from the socialist Maduro regime, representing roughly a quarter of Venezuela's estimated 31.25 million inhabitants as of 2024. Maduro once again urged Venezuelan migrants to return to their country, stating, "Come, do not believe in false homelands and illusions of the American dream, come to Venezuela everyone, we love you here."
In March, Maduro publicly pledged that he would "not rest" until he "rescues" the Tren de Aragua members detained in El Salvador. In April, President Nayib Bukele formally proposed a deal to the Maduro regime to send 252 of the Venezuelan deportees back to Venezuela in exchange for the release of 252 of Maduro's nearly 900 political prisoners. However, the Maduro regime rejected the proposal and accused Bukele of engaging in "Nazism."
The situation in Venezuela continues to be a matter of international concern, with the Maduro regime's actions and narratives under scrutiny. The return of Maikelys Espinoza, while celebrated as a victory by Maduro, raises questions about the regime's handling of the situation and its treatment of its citizens.
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