Venezuelan Authorities Slam Trump's Expanded Travel Ban: 'They Persecute Our People for No Reason'

Venezuelan officials are strongly criticizing the expanded travel ban announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, which imposes full or partial restrictions on 12 countries, including Venezuela. The ban, which revives and broadens a similar measure from Trump's first term, is set to take effect on June 9.

The proclamation imposes a full travel ban on nationals from countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, and Somalia, while partially restricting entry from Venezuela, Cuba, Burundi, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Turkmenistan.

Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela's Minister of the Interior, reacted immediately to the news during his weekly television program:

"Being in the United States is a great risk for anyone, not just for Venezuelans. It is fascism. They are supremacists who believe they own the world and persecute our people for no reason."

The Trump administration defended the decision, claiming the ban is a national security measure and citing a recent attack in Boulder, Colorado, carried out by a man who overstayed his visa. Trump said the ban aims to prevent similar incidents and is subject to revision as global threats evolve.

In a video on social media, Trump reiterated that the decision was closely tied to the recent attack , which targeted people showing their support for Israeli hostages in Gaza, saying it "underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas"

A document from the White House justified the inclusion of Venezuela by claiming the country "lacks a competent or cooperative central authority to issue passports or civil documents and has inadequate screening and verification procedures." It also noted Venezuela has historically refused to accept deported nationals.

Florida based EVTV reported on Thursday that The White House clarified that the proclamation does not affect "existing visa holders", meaning that those who possessed a visa before June 9 are not impacted by the ban.