Airlines pull back from Venezuela following US alert
Six international airlines have halted their flights to Venezuela following a warning from the United States to major carriers regarding a "potentially hazardous situation" amidst "increased military activity" in the area.
The airlines affected include Spain's Iberia, Portugal's TAP, Chile's LATAM, Colombia's Avianca, Brazil's GOL, and Trinidad and Tobago's Caribbean, which ceased operations on Saturday, as reported by AFP, citing Marisela de Loaiza, the president of the Venezuelan Airlines Association.
TAP stated that it would cancel flights planned for Saturday and the following Tuesday, while Iberia announced it would suspend its flights to Caracas until further notice.
Reports indicate that Copa Airlines from Panama, Spain's Air Europa and PlusUltra, Turkish Airlines, and Venezuela's LASER will continue to operate flights for the time being.
The flight suspensions occur alongside rising tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela, as Washington deploys troops and the world's largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean for what it describes as an anti-narcotics operation.
However, Caracas asserts that the operation is intended to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power.
The U.S. military is said to have conducted at least 21 strikes on presumed drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, resulting in at least 83 casualties.
Maduro has accused the U.S. of fabricating "pretexts" for conflict and has reiterated his willingness to engage in dialogue with Washington while warning that Venezuela will defend itself if needed.
"No foreign power will impose its will on our sovereign homeland," he was quoted as stating by the Venezuelan news outlet Telesur.
"However, if they disrupt peace and continue their neocolonial ambitions, they will encounter a significant surprise. I hope that does not happen, because – I reiterate – they will face a truly monumental surprise."
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