Top Venezuelan diplomat criticizes US over migrant expulsions, tariff policies

ANTALYA/ANKARA

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil on Sunday slammed the US over migrant expulsions, human rights violations, and its tariff policy.

"Migration from Venezuela to the US was created by a hostile economic and political policy of the US," Gil told Anadolu during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum held in Türkiye.

"They have tried to encourage people to leave Venezuela and come to the US, but now they are expelling Venezuelans from the country," Gil said.

"We are ready to welcome Venezuelans returning back. We have a plan that is called 'back to the homeland,' in which we are prepared to bring back our migrants in a safe way," he noted.

Gil denounced the US for its “cruel treatments and the violations of human rights,” especially the detention of Venezuelans in prisons.

Gil also denounced the US tariff policy as "dangerous," saying: "Thankfully, we have diversified our imports, and as a president, (China's) Xi Jinping said yesterday, 'we do not need the US in our market, so we only can call upon the US to withdraw all of these tariffs, because it is a danger for the global economy'."

"In the case of Venezuela, it will not affect us very much because we have diversified our imports but at the global level, they are very dangerous," he added.

US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on nations purchasing oil or gas from Venezuela, effective from April 2.

Earlier this month, the White House announced a baseline 10% tariff on foreign imports, along with higher reciprocal tariffs targeting dozens of countries, including major trading partners. Trump later said those higher tariffs would be lowered to 10% for 90 days to allow time for negotiations.

That reduction, however, did not apply to China. Instead, Trump upped tariffs on Chinese imports to 125%, in addition to a 20% levy, prompting a retaliatory response from Beijing.

This escalation has heightened fears of a full-scale trade war between the world’s two largest economies.