A private humanitarian flight that departed from Miami with six rescuers and a nurse heading to Venezuela was canceled mid-flight and diverted to the Dominican Republic, after the regime of the South American country denied entry at the last moment.
The aircraft, a private jet of Cuban-American businessman Yoel Sardiñas, had taken off this Monday from the Opa-locka Executive Airport in South Florida, according to a report by journalist Javier Díaz from Univision.
On board were professionals with over two decades of experience in rescue operations and specialized equipment to detect life beneath the rubble.
A permit that was useless
What makes the case especially serious is that the flight reportedly had official permission from the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry.
Nevertheless, the government would have revoked the authorization when the aircraft was already airborne, according to the aforementioned source.
“Breaking news: the flight that took off from Miami this afternoon with six rescuers and a nurse heading to Venezuela, despite having a permit from the foreign ministry, was canceled mid-air and the aircraft had to divert to the Dominican Republic.”, wrote Díaz.
The journalist pointed to a political reason behind the decision.
“It seems that these were political comments made on social media, and the government of Venezuela denied entry at the last moment, despite the serious crisis the country is experiencing,” the communicator pointed out, “putting even more lives at risk for those trapped under the rubble.”
Regarding the blocked professionals, Díaz emphasized:
"The rescuers on the plane have over 20 years of experience in this type of rescue and were traveling with specialized equipment to detect life in extreme situations."
In statements to Javier Díaz, businessman Yoel Sardiñas described the situation for obtaining the necessary permits to enter Venezuela under the current circumstances as complex.
A pattern of blocking civil aid
The case of Sardiñas is not an isolated incident.
The organization W Aviation, also based in South Florida, reported that Venezuelan authorities did not authorize the landing of at least three planes loaded with medicines, non-perishable food, hygiene products, and tools, all departing from Opa-locka.
The Spanish rescue team Usar13 was also unable to travel to Venezuela due to bureaucratic obstacles imposed by the regime, and had to return to Spain on June 28.
The Venezuelan government has imposed a system of mandatory accreditations to enter the state of La Guaira -the most devastated by the earthquakes- citing logistical and security reasons, but in practice, this has shut the door to independent civil teams.
The catastrophe that demands every hour of rescue
The blockade occurs at the worst possible time.
The earthquakes of June 24, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, are the strongest recorded in Venezuela since 1900, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The official balance as of June 29 stood at 1,719 dead, 5,034 injured, and 15,866 affected, according to Jorge Rodríguez, president of the Venezuelan National Assembly.
The UN estimates up to 50,000 missing persons, while the citizen platform Encuéntralos reports figures between 55,000 and 60,000 individuals unaccounted for.
The UNDP calculated the direct damages at 6.7 billion dollars, equivalent to 6% of Venezuela's gross domestic product.
Miami responds while Caracas blocks
While the regime closes doors, the Venezuelan community in Miami—over 100,000 people in Miami-Dade County—mobilized en masse to send aid. Doral, known as "Doralzuela" for having more than 30% of its residents of Venezuelan origin, has become the epicenter for donations through the organization Global Empowerment Mission.
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