Latest news with #CiliaFlores
Bloomberg
7 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Maduro Sweeps Venezuelan Regional Vote Marked by Low Turnout
Venezuela's ruling party swept regional and parliamentary elections in a landslide Sunday, tightening President Nicolás Maduro's grip on power after a low-turnout vote marred by widespread opposition abstention and international criticism. State media declared victories for key Maduro allies, including his wife Cilia Flores and party chief Jorge Rodríguez. The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) won control of 23 out of 24 governorships, according to preliminary results from the National Electoral Council.
CTV News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
2-year-old girl reunites with her mother in Venezuela after U.S. deportation
In this photo released by the Miraflores press office, first lady Cilia Flores, second from left, and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, left, watch as 2-year-old Maikelys Espinoza is reunited with her mother Yorely Escarleth Bernal Inciarte at Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. The U.S. deported Bernal to Venezuela on April 25 and sent the child's father to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador in March. (Zurimar Campos/Miraflores press office via AP)
South China Morning Post
14-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
2-year-old girl reunites with mother in Venezuela after US deportation
A two-year-old girl arrived in Caracas on Wednesday to reunite with her mother after she was separated from her parents when they were deported from the US in what Venezuela denounced as a kidnapping. Maikelys Espinoza arrived at an airport outside the capital, Caracas, along with more than 220 deported migrants. Footage aired by state television showed Venezuela's first lady Cilia Flores carrying Maikelys at the airport. Later, Flores was shown handing the girl over to her mother, who had been waiting for her arrival at the presidential palace along with President Nicolas Maduro. 'Here is everyone's beloved little girl. She is the daughter and granddaughter of all of us,' Maduro said. The US government had claimed the family separation last month was justified because the girl's parents allegedly have ties to the Venezuelan-based Tren de Aragua gang, which US President Donald Trump designated a terrorist organisation earlier this year.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Toddler held in US after parents' deportation has been returned to Venezuela
A Venezuelan toddler who had been kept in US government custody after her parents were deported has been returned to Venezuela. Maikelys Antonella Espinoza Bernal arrived at the Simón Bolívar International Airport on Wednesday on a repatriation flight from the US. Venezuelan First Lady Cilia Flores carried the 2-year-old in her arms as officials announced the girl's return to reporters gathered at the airport. 'Today we have a great victory,' Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said. Venezuela had been demanding that the United States return the girl for weeks, accusing US officials of kidnapping her. The US Department of Homeland Security previously denied the allegation, arguing the family was separated in an attempt to protect Maikelys from her parents, whom they accused without evidence of being part of criminal group Tren de Aragua (TDA). This is a developing story and will be updated.
Newsweek
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Venezuela Slams US 'Kidnapping' as Toddler Returned in Deportation Flight
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A 2-year-old Venezuelan girl who had been separated from her parents due to deportation policies arrived Wednesday in Caracas, reuniting with her mother amid international controversy. Maikelys Espinoza returned aboard a flight carrying over 220 deported migrants. Venezuelan state television broadcast images of First Lady Cilia Flores holding the child at the airport before personally delivering her to her mother at the presidential palace, where President Nicolás Maduro was also present. Venezuela's government has repeatedly condemned the separation as a "kidnapping," criticizing U.S. immigration enforcement. The U.S. justified the deportation by alleging that the girl's parents were linked to the Tren de Aragua, a Venezuela-based criminal gang recently designated a terrorist organization by President Donald Trump. The child's mother was deported to Venezuela on April 25. Her father had been previously transferred to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador in March, as part of a sweeping Trump administration policy invoking an 18th-century wartime law to accelerate deportations. Hundreds of Venezuelan migrants, including approximately 180 who were held at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay for up to 16 days, have since been deported. While the administration claims these individuals are affiliated with Tren de Aragua, it has provided limited public evidence supporting those claims. Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this story. This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is available.
