An Eastern Airlines plane. File photo.
Permission was granted to Eastern Airlines. The repatriation flights of Venezuelans had been unilaterally suspended by the US as part of the escalating US aggression that began in September.
US authorities requested authorization from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros to resume flights for the repatriation of Venezuelan citizens affected by controversial deportation policies carried out under orders from the White House, led by Donald Trump. Permission was granted.
The Minister of Popular Power for Transportation, Ramón Celestino Velásquez Araguayán, announced the decision on his Instagram account @rvaraguayan, where the full statement is available.
The authorization covers an Eastern Airlines flight on the Phoenix, Arizona–Maiquetía route, operating as flight EAL8280/8281 aboard a Boeing 777-200, with registration N771KW (primary) and N825WK (alternate), landing at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía.
On Nov. 30, the Great Mission Return to the Homeland led by President Camilla Fabri Saab, issued a statement saying it “deeply regretted the decision announced by the US president to unilaterally suspend regular flights intended for the return of Venezuelan migrants living in the United States.”
The statement added that the US measure “undermines the spirit of cooperation, contradicts the principles of international law, and abruptly breaks the agreements reached on January 31 with the official envoy of that country.” It recalled that, under the bilateral understanding, 13,956 Venezuelan migrants have returned since February on 75 flights, all supported logistically by the Bolivarian government.
The suspension of repatriation flights occurred amid escalating US aggression against Venezuela—a campaign launched in September under the pretext of combating drug trafficking. This operation, involving warships, a nuclear submarine, over 1,200 missiles, and the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, has killed approximately 70 people in attacks on small vessels in the Caribbean.
Alongside Trump’s repeated verbal threats against Venezuela, the US has pressured international airlines to avoid Venezuelan airspace, citing alleged militarization risks.
In response, carriers like Iberia and Avianca suspended routes, while others, including Copa Airlines and Wingo, have continued normal operations, rejecting Washington’s unilateral advisories.
(Diario VEA) by Ildegar Gil
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JB/SH
