Photos show Venezuelan migrants spending Christmas at home after abandoning hope of reaching the US

After months on the move through jungles, seas and borders, Venezuelan migrants Mariela Gómez, her partner Abraham Castro and her two children, abandoned their attempt to reach the United States. They returned to spend Christmas back home, part of a growing wave of reverse migration driven by Trump's crackdown, as U.S. pressure on the government of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro intensifies.

The Associated Press
December 25, 2025 at 5:45PM

MARACAY, Venezuela — After months on the move through jungles, seas and borders, Venezuelan migrants Mariela Gómez, her partner Abraham Castro and her two children, abandoned their attempt to reach the United States. They returned to spend Christmas back home, part of a growing wave of reverse migration driven by Trump's crackdown, as U.S. pressure on the government of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro intensifies.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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MATIAS DELACROIX

The Associated Press

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