The President of the United States, Donald Trump, ordered on Thursday the reopening of commercial airspace over Venezuela, amid the process of political reconfiguration driven by the current U.S. administration after the capture of the narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro.
The announcement was made by the President himself during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, where he confirmed that the decision had already been communicated to the Chavista authorities. According to his explanation, the instruction was transmitted directly to Delcy Rodríguez, the official in charge of the Venezuelan transitional regime.
"I just spoke with the President of Venezuela and I informed her that we're going to open all commercial airspace over Venezuela", Trump stated before the officials present.
Donald Trump, presidente de Estados Unidos.
In accordance with what was detailed by the head of state, the order must be executed immediately. In that regard, he indicated that he gave precise instructions to different areas of the federal government to speed up the process and enable commercial flights again.
"I gave orders to the Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, and to other officials, including military commanders, so that no later than the end of today, the airspace over Venezuela is open and so that planes can fly to Venezuela", he maintained.
The reopening of the airspace entails the lifting of the restrictions that, since 2019, had prevented U.S. airlines from operating routes to the South American country. During that period, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) kept all air routes closed and issued repeated warnings about the "potentially dangerous situation" of Venezuelan airspace.
Delcy Rodríguez, líder del régimen venezolano de transición.
Trump asserted that the measure will allow the restoration of the movement of U.S. citizens to Venezuela, something that had been practically prohibited in recent years. "U.S. citizens will be able to go to Venezuela very soon, and they'll be safe there", the President stated.
The President also referred to the impact that the decision could have on the movements of people who maintain ties with the South American country. In that regard, he emphasized that both those who wish to return and those who plan to make visits will be able to do so once air traffic is normalized. "People who used to live in Venezuela, some want to return, and others want to go for a visit, and they'll be able to do so", he stressed.
The presidential decision is taking place in parallel with the initial steps that the Republican administration has been taking to move forward with the reestablishment of the U.S. diplomatic presence in Caracas, a process that is still at a preliminary stage.
