Mother Criticizes Venezuelan Repatriation Process After Son Dies in Earthquake

The mother of a Venezuelan deportee who perished in La Guaira during a recent seismic event has sharply criticized the Venezuelan government's handling of repatriation processes. Oswardeliz Núñez expressed her anguish, stating that her son, Daniel, was treated "like sacks of potatoes" rather than human beings upon his return to Venezuela. Daniel had just been deported from the United States and was staying at the El Santuario de La Llanada hotel in La Guaira when the earthquakes struck on June 24, causing the building to collapse.

Núñez recounted that her son called her from the phone of a National Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Sebin) official to inform her of his arrival. He was expected to be released the following day, but just 30 minutes after their last conversation, the double earthquake hit. Daniel was among the estimated 120 men, 19 women, five children, and two girls who arrived on flight 164, a routine deportation flight from the U.S. due to its immigration policies.

Upon traveling to La Guaira, Núñez faced the devastating reality of identifying her son's body among the rubble. A distinctive tattoo, once a point of contention between them, became the grim marker of his identity. The once-familiar face was unrecognizable. Now, grappling with her grief, Núñez is determined to fight for justice and demand improvements to the repatriation system.

She is not seeking financial compensation but insists on moral reparation and a commitment from the state to enhance protocols for returning citizens. Núñez lamented that deportees are not immediately released upon arrival and must endure lengthy bureaucratic procedures, highlighting the system's failures that led to her son's tragic death.

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They are not sacks of potatoes. They are human beings. They are delivering human beings.