Vice President of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez reported that President Nicolas Maduro ordered a 'special plan' for the return of Venezuelan nationals stranded in other countries due to the suspension of several flights. This decision was a response to a warning from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which advised airlines and pilots to 'exercise extreme caution' when flying over Venezuelan territory and the southern Caribbean.
'President Nicolas Maduro has ordered a special plan for the return of Venezuelans stranded in other countries, as well as to facilitate itineraries for those who must travel outside our territory,' stated Rodriguez in a message posted on Telegram, without providing further details.
She also stated that Venezuela has activated all multilateral mechanisms under international law to 'immediately cease this illegitimate and illegal action.'
'The U.S. government has granted a request from Maria Corina Machado to attempt to block Venezuelan airspace,' added the official, referring to the opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who is currently in hiding. The award ceremony is scheduled for December 10 in Oslo, Norway.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that pilots and airlines should consider Venezuelan airspace closed. This message followed an advisory issued by U.S. authorities a week earlier. The FAA urged to 'exercise extreme caution' when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean due to a 'potentially dangerous situation' in the region, which led to a series of flight cancellations to and from Venezuela.
As a result, several airlines, including Iberia, Plus Ultra, Air Europa, Avianca, and Turkish Airlines, suspended their flights in the country. The Maduro administration gave them a 48-hour deadline to resume operations, and when they did not comply, it revoked the traffic permits for Iberia, Turkish Airlines, Gol, Avianca, TAP, and Latam Colombia. For now, Copa, Wingo, Boliviana de Aviación, and Satena, as well as local carriers Avior and Conviasa (state-owned), continue to operate in the country.
The Maduro administration denounced to 'the world,' in a statement published by the Foreign Ministry, that Trump's statements 'represent an explicit threat of the use of force,' which they claim is 'clearly and unequivocally prohibited' by the United Nations Charter, and considered it an 'attempt at intimidation.' Trump posted this message a day after The New York Times reported on a purported phone call with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to explore a possible meeting, although neither party has officially confirmed or denied the contact.
