Venezuela Repatriated US Citizens Stranded Due to Coronavirus For Free in a Conviasa Flight (Photo Gallery)
Last Monday March 6th, Venezuelan Chancellor Jorge Arreaza announced a humanitarian flight from Conviasa for Thursday (today) on the route Caracas – Toluca (Mexico) – Caracas to bring Venezuelans stranded in the US but not properly served due to the inhuman US sanctions that were not lifted even in these terrible circumstances.
Arreaza announced that Venezuelan government offered free transportation for US citizens stranded in Venezuela on this flight, regardless of Washington’s criminal attitude.
Venezuela is announcing to US citizens stranded in Venezuela interested in returning to the United States that the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela will enable a humanitarian flight of Conviasa to Toluca, Mexico on April 9, 2020. https://t.co/v0QoRHZfxW
— Orinoco Tribune (@OrinocoTribune) April 6, 2020
One day later the US Embassy in Bogota helped with Maduro’s government humanitarian initiative, sent emails and posted a notice on its website:
Event: Commercial Flight Departing Caracas Thursday, April 9
We understand that there are a few seats left on the Conviasa flight from Caracas to Toluca, Mexico on Thursday, April 9, 2020.
THIS FLIGHT CAN BE BOOKED THROUGH TRAVEL AGENTS.
If you are interested in returning to the United States, we encourage you to take advantage of this flight. U.S. citizens should return immediately to the United States, unless you are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period.
Please contact a travel agent or the airline directly for seat availability, reservations, and pricing information.
If you purchase a ticket on this flight, and encounter difficulties traveling to the airport from your location, please contact us at ColombiaEvac@state.gov or (57) 1 275-2000. If you believe you will have difficulty reaching the airport due to travel restrictions, please provide us with your travel information (name, date of birth, passport number, and contact details).
Disregarding inaccurate information in the US Embassy notice, like the suggestion to book the flight using travel agents or with an alleged purchase option, when it was made public by Venezuelan authorities that is was a free of charge, humanitarian service, and that those interested should contact Venezuelan ministry of foreign affairs, the US diplomatic mission for the first time in months “cooperated” with legitimate Venezuelan authorities and took advantage of a real humanitarian gesture that is the opposite of US criminal behavior towards Venezuelans.
#Hoy pese a las ilegales sanciones impuestas por EEUU, el Gobierno Bolivariano de Venezuela activó un vuelo especial de su aerolínea @LAConviasa para que 154 ciudadanos, entre ellos estadounidenses, puedan retornar a sus hogares, vía México. pic.twitter.com/f7pqPc7WtD
— Cancillería Venezuela 🇻🇪 (@CancilleriaVE) April 9, 2020
Today, Thursday March 9th, as promised, Conviasa accomplished the mission and informed on its twitter account that 154 foreigners took advantage of this humanitarian gesture. Social network sources refer to only 27 US citizen actually being among the 154 passengers.
A humanitarian commercial flight operated by Venezuelan state airline Conviasa flew U.S citizens and other stranded expats out of Caracas and just arrived safely to Toluca, Mexico. pic.twitter.com/O8Yi74By0I
— Emiliana Duarte (@emiduarte) April 9, 2020
Social media in Venezuela mocked the numbers, saying that US citizens decided to stay in Maduro’s “dictatorship” instead of going back to the sad catastrophic scenario that the US is facing, due Covid-19 and the lack of leadership and erratic decision making of president Trump.
Conviasa flight from Caracas to Toluca, Mexico as an evacuation flight for US citizens from Venezuela #Venezuela pic.twitter.com/ylHHOv8RGt
— CNW (@ConflictsW) April 9, 2020
An isolated chamber inside the Conviasa airbus 320 was set up to transport potentially infected patients.
#9Abr Arribó a Toluca el vuelo V07810 con 154 pasajeros que retornarán a EEUU. Un gran trabajo realizado por nuestro personal y la Cancillería de Venezuela que aseguró el traslado de ciudadanos de distintas nacionalidades entre ellos estadounidenses que continuarán hacia su país pic.twitter.com/mOi1bCR6Wg
— Línea Aérea Conviasa (@LAConviasa) April 9, 2020
OT/JRE/EF
