Danny, Oris, and Donny, three of many Venezuelans waiting at the Barajas Airport in Madrid, Spain, to return to their country. Photo: Sergio Enriquez-Nistal/El Mundo.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez announced Saturday that President Nicolás Maduro ordered the implementation of a special plan for the return of Venezuelan nationals stranded in other countries, as well as facilitating the departure of those who need to travel out of Venezuela. This decision comes after several international airlines decided to suspend their flights to Venezuela, following warmongering actions taken by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and President Donald Trump himself.
Despite US imperialism’s destabilization attempts, local and international air-traffic in Venezuela has remained as active as usual, with the exception of six important airlines that mostly cover routes to Europe, as was reported on Sunday by Venezuelan journalist Orlenys Ortiz.
On social media, the Venezuelan top official wrote: “The US government is complying with María Machado’s request to attempt to block Venezuelan airspace. In response to this aggression, President Nicolás Maduro has ordered a special plan for the return of Venezuelans stranded in other countries, as well as facilitating departure itineraries for those who must travel outside our territory. Venezuela has activated all multilateral mechanisms in accordance with International Law for the immediate cessation of their illegitimate and illegal actions. Venezuela will always prevail!”
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The government of Venezuela condemned in the strongest terms this Saturday the colonialist threat of the United States, hours after its president, Donald Trump, dared to “attempt to give orders and threaten the sovereignty of the national airspace” when he announced in a social media post that the Venezuelan airspace was allegedly “closed.”
The Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported Sunday that 50 Venezuelans and Colombians were left stranded in the Barajas Airport, Madrid, not knowing what to do to return back home.
The outlet reported that around fifty travelers remained stranded as of Sunday morning despite efforts to re-book them on the few available Avianca and Air Europa flights to Medellín and Bogotá. Only a minority have managed to board. The Red Cross will provide accommodation until Monday to ease the pain of the stranded travelers, some of whom are elderly, and who have been sleeping on the floor for several days.
Foreign Minister Yván Gil made public a government statement, in which he noted that “this type of declaration constitutes a hostile, unilateral and arbitrary act, incompatible with the most basic principles of International Law.”
The text states that Venezuela denounces to the world that such statements constitute “an explicit threat of the use of force, clearly and unequivocally prohibited by Article 2, paragraph 4, of the Charter of the United Nations.”
On November 21, the FAA issued an alert recommending that airlines exercise caution when operating in Venezuelan airspace “due to the worsening security situation and increased military activity in or around Venezuela,” they wrote. “The threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight, the arrival and departure phases of flights, and/or to airports and aircraft on the ground,” the FAA noted in its statement.
This warning prompted Iberia, Air Europa, Latam Colombia, Avianca, TAP, Plus Ultra, Turkish Airlines and Gol to suspend their operations in Venezuela. The Venezuelan National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC) gave these airlines 48 hours to resume operations, but when they ignored the warning, INAC revoked their air traffic rights on Thursday.
The actions of the airlines caused great difficulties for people taking flights to return to Venezuela or leave the country, which will likely intensify with Trump’s announcement this Saturday and the arrival of the end-of-year travel season.
With Imaginary Decree, Trump Attempts to ‘Close’ Venezuela’s Airspace
Trump confirms phone call with Maduro
The US ruler confirmed Sunday that he had a telephone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro, after being approached by journalists aboard Air Force One.
However, the US president declined to comment on the matter and simply confirmed the call. “I don’t want to comment on it. The answer is yes,” he stated firmly, as can be heard in the audio. Trump noted that he wouldn’t say the conversation “went well or badly,” and added, “it was a phone call.”
(Alba Ciudad) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/JB
