Venezuela welcomes home toddler separated from parents during U.S. deportation

Venezuelan officials celebrated the return of two-year-old Maikelys Espinoza on Wednesday, after the toddler was separated from her deported parents and held in U.S. custody—a case that has fueled sharp criticism from Caracas toward Washington.

The child's return was treated as a significant event by the Venezuelan government, with Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and First Lady Cilia Flores personally greeting her at Maiquetía International Airport.

The incident sparked outrage when Cabello publicly accused U.S. authorities of forcibly removing the child from her parents during their deportation process. “We stand beside Venezuelan mothers who have had their children stolen and kidnapped from them,” Cabello said. “They deliver them to what they call foster homes, which is no other than the commercialization of human beings. They see the human being as merchandise.”

The girl's mother had returned to Venezuela days earlier, arriving alone. Her father, meanwhile, was deported to El Salvador in March and is reportedly being held in a maximum-security prison. According to family lawyers, both parents have been accused by U.S. authorities of having ties to the Tren de Aragua gang, designated a terrorist organization under former President Donald Trump.

Despite the pointed rhetoric from Cabello, President Nicolás Maduro struck a more diplomatic tone, expressing gratitude to Trump and former U.S. envoy Richard Grenell for facilitating the child's return.

The case has reignited debate over immigration enforcement practices and family separations in the U.S., particularly involving migrants from politically sensitive regions like Venezuela.