In one of his last government measures and within hours of leaving power, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, suspended on Tuesday night the deportation of Venezuelan immigrants for a period of 18 months, while deciding to grant temporary work permits.
In a statement from the White House, Trump said that “the deteriorating situation within Venezuela justify the postponementor the expulsion of Venezuelan citizens who are present in the United States. “
The still president considered that his decision, from which those who remain in the country as of January 20 can benefit, responds to the “foreign policy interest of the United States”.
The measure has some exceptions: it will not apply to those people who have been deported before or have been convicted for a crime or two misdemeanorss.
In addition to ordering the suspension of deportations, the still president approved “employment authorizations for foreigners whose expulsion has been postponed (…) for the duration of said postponement.”
Trump’s decision is a nod to the Venezuelan community in the United States, mostly resident in Florida, who supported him during these four years for his belligerence against the government of Nicolás Maduro.
In fact, this Tuesday Washington approved new economic sanctions against Caracas, this time for members of a supposed network whose objective was to commercialize Venezuelan crude while evading US penalties.
Since his arrival in the White House in 2017, the Trump administration imposed numerous economic sanctions against the Executive of Maduro, whom he considers “illegitimate.”
The United States is one of the strongest backs that the Venezuelan opposition leader has Juan Guaidor, to which in 2019 recognized as legitimate president of the Caribbean nation.
The Venezuelan government hopes that the new Administration of Democrat Joe Biden, who will assume the US Presidency tomorrow, Wednesday, have “glimpses of decency”, comply with international law and establish “diplomatic channels of respectful dialogue”.
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