The government of Nicolás Maduro revoked flight permits for airlines Iberia (Spain), TAP (Portugal), Avianca, Latam Colombia, Turkish Airlines (Turkey), and Gol (Brazil) on Wednesday, accusing them of "joining the terrorist actions" promoted by the U.S. The U.S. maintains a naval and air deployment in the Caribbean Sea, near Venezuelan waters, which the Caracas government denounces as a "threat" to facilitate a regime change that would remove Maduro from power, although the Donald Trump administration assures that these actions are carried out to combat drug trafficking from Latin America. The decision came after the government gave the airlines that suspended their itineraries a 48-hour deadline, which expired this Wednesday at noon (16:00 GMT), to resume their operations in Venezuela. "The national government, in a sovereign decision, told the companies (airlines): if in 48 hours you do not resume the flights, do not resume them anymore," the Ministry of Transport and the National Institute of Civil Aviation (INAC) stated. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration had last Friday urged commercial airlines to "exercise extreme caution" when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean due to what it considers "a potentially dangerous situation in the region." For now, Copa, Wingo, Boliviana de Aviación, and Satena, as well as the local carriers Avior and Conviasa (state-owned), maintain their operations in the South American nation.
Venezuela Revokes Licenses for Six International Airlines
Venezuela's government revoked flight permits for six major airlines, accusing them of joining U.S. sanctions, after they suspended flights following a U.S. safety warning.
