Trump’s special envoy reveals details of his encounter with Maduro and how he managed to free North American citizens: “He asked for something in return and told him no”

The Envoy for Special Affairs of the Trump Administration, Richard Grenelll, granted an interview in the program The Megyn Kelly Show, where he talked about his recent visit to Caracas, Venezuela, and the Strait Man with Nicolás Maduro.

“I am still really excited about what happened on Saturday, it was probably the most prominent moment of my career”Said Grenell

“Not only do we recover the hostages without paying a penny and without exchanging any – which is really important – but also made the Venezuelan government to bring its planes to the United States to take illegal immigrants in our country in our country Back to Venezuela, ”added the American diplomat.

President Donald Trump said last Saturday that Venezuela agreed to receive illegal immigrants deported by the United States, including members of the Criminal Band of Aragua.

The detainees were released and returned to the United States after the meeting between Trump’s special envoy and Nicolás Maduro, who asked for a “new beginning” in relations with Washington.

Grenell had traveled to Caracas to demand that the Maduro government accept the unconditional return of deported Venezuelans in the United States or face the consequences.

“Maduro asked for something in return and I told him no. I said: ‘I give you a great gift: my presence here. I know you will use this as propaganda. ‘ I understand that a diplomat together with Maduro is controversial, but speaking is necessary. That is not a weakness, ”said Grenell.

“It is a heartbreaking to think that there were two people who could have been released, but they thought that, once again, this was just a farce of the Venezuelan government. They refused to play the game, without knowing, without realizing that this was real, ”he said.

And he kept narrating the special envoy: “We were on the runway for two and a half hours waiting and did not know if they were going to deliver them. We all hope on the plane very nervous. I was nervous about what was going to happen when vehicles arrived (…) ”.

“I saw that the six were in individual cars and I could see from the other side of the track that someone came out and had a black hood on the head. And I was thinking: ‘This is an American’ “he said.

He concluded in the interview: “I also thought that I have the Air Force behind me on an Air Force plane. And we cannot stay here standing while an American has a hood on the head and is handcuffed. So I walked there and each one were taking away the hood and shackles, I told each individual: ‘They climb the plane, go up to the plane. I am an American diplomat. Go to the plane right now ‘”.

Trump promised to carry out the largest deportation campaign in the history of the United States, promising to expel millions of undocumented immigrants, much of them from Latin American nations.

Venezuela broke diplomatic relations with Washington in January 2019 after the United States, under Trump’s first mandate (2017-2021), He acknowledged the opposition leader Juan Guaidó as an interim president, instead of Maduro, and hardened his economic sanctions against the socialist government of the South American country.

*With AFP information.