The United States has declared the 'Cartel of the Suns' a terrorist organization. Starting today, November 24, the United States will increase pressure on Caracas by officially designating the 'Cartel of the Suns' as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). This measure, championed in the political debate by figures such as Senator Marco Rubio, places the alleged Venezuelan criminal organization on the same blacklist as groups like the Sinaloa Cartel and the Tren de Aragua. Although Washington frames it as part of the fight against drug trafficking, Maduro denounces it as an intimidation tactic to force him from power. This news prompted a reaction from several airlines, which suspended flights to Venezuela in response to the U.S. alert to 'exercise extreme caution' when flying over that country and the southern Caribbean Sea. On Saturday, Iberia (Spain), TAP (Portugal), Gol (Brazil), and Avianca (Colombia) were the first to announce flight cancellations. Later, Latam Airlines, the largest airline in Latin America, confirmed the cancellation of flights scheduled from Bogotá to Caracas for November 23 and 24. 'For Latam Airlines Colombia, the safety of its passengers and crews is the priority. For this reason, the airline decided to preemptively cancel flights on the Bogotá-Caracas-Bogotá route on November 23 and 24,' the company said in a statement. Another airline that took the U.S. alert into account was Turkish Airlines, one of the ten largest in the world, which canceled its scheduled flights to Caracas between November 24 and 28, according to the president of the Association of Airlines in Venezuela (ALAV), Marisela de Loaiza. A customer service agent for the Turkish company also validated the decision, stating: 'Some flights were canceled between these dates (November 24 and 28), but not all,' though he did not specify the exact days. Latam also added that it 'will continue to monitor the situation daily to keep its passengers informed.' Maduro's government, known as Chavismo, considers this organization to be an 'invention' and denies the U.S. accusations of drug trafficking. Venezuelan authorities expressed their loyalty and support for President Nicolás Maduro, who turned 63 on Sunday, amid military tensions with the U.S. and a day before the announced designation of the Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist organization. At this time, the Venezuelan government shared letters from the presidents of Russia, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Belarus, all allies of Venezuela, who reaffirmed their support for Maduro, while the Chavista leader denounces the U.S. air and naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea as a 'threat.' The Venezuelan government believes the U.S. deployment is an attempt to bring about regime change and remove Maduro from power, whom Washington accuses of leading the so-called Cartel of the Suns. Experts consulted warn that the Venezuelan economy, already battered by the oil embargo since 2019, could suffer further 'strangulation.' The fear of secondary sanctions could lead international operators to sever ties with Venezuela to avoid legal risks in the U.S. The announcement coincides with a show of force in the Caribbean: the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's most advanced aircraft carrier. International analyst Carlos Verissimo Storace explains the drastic change: while drug trafficking falls under the DEA's jurisdiction, terrorism enables the intervention of the Pentagon, the Treasury Department, and intelligence services. According to the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela, this organization is allegedly led by Nicolás Maduro himself and high-ranking officials in his government, who are accused of co-opting the military, judicial, and legislative branches for illicit purposes. Beyond the label, the designation has immediate legal effects, ranging from freezing assets in third countries to the theoretical possibility of extraterritorial military operations.
