The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced Thursday the reopening of Venezuelan airspace for commercial flights, a decision that could mark a key shift in regional mobility and in the relationship between Washington and Caracas.
The announcement was made during a cabinet meeting at the White House, just weeks after the capture and arrest of Nicolás Maduro in an operation authorized by his administration.
"I just spoke with the president of Venezuela and informed her that we will be opening all commercial airspace," Trump declared. "American citizens will be able to go to Venezuela very soon and they will be safe there," he added.
In addition to the reopening of air travel, the president announced that major American oil companies will travel to the Caribbean nation to explore projects, a sign that Washington is assessing a new political and economic scenario in Venezuela under the current transitional government led by Delcy Rodríguez.
The decision has a direct impact on thousands of people, especially families separated for years, migrants, frequent travelers, and citizens who had been caught up in the air travel restrictions imposed amid the political and diplomatic crisis.
For many Cubans in the United States and other countries in the region, Venezuela has historically served as an air travel connection point. Thus, the reopening of its airspace raises expectations about new routes, stopovers, and travel opportunities, in a regional context still marked by uncertainty.
So far, no specific dates have been announced for the resumption of flights or which airlines will operate the routes, while an official response from Caracas and technical details from the aviation authorities are awaited.
Filed under: