Venezuela announced a flight ban on six major international air carriers after they failed to meet a 48-hour ultimatum to resume flights to the country. The airlines had temporarily suspended routes to the capital, Caracas, following a US warning about "heightened military activity" in the area. In response, the Venezuelan government issued an ultimatum to the carriers that expired on Wednesday. While smaller airlines continue to service Venezuela, thousands of passengers have already been affected by the cancellations. The decision to immediately revoke landing and take-off rights impacted Iberia, TAP Portugal, Gol, Latam, Avianca, and Turkish Airlines, reports The WP Times citing BBC.
Venezuela’s civil aviation authority (which reports to the Ministry of Transport) accused the airlines of "joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government" by unilaterally suspending commercial operations. This accusation comes amid a large-scale deployment of US forces in the waters off Venezuela. The United States sent a significant contingent to the country’s coast, including 15,000 troops and the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford. Washington states that the purpose of this deployment, the largest in the region since 1989, is to combat drug trafficking.
However, the Venezuelan government believes the true aim of the operation is to depose President Nicolás Maduro, whose re-election last year was denounced as rigged by the opposition and many foreign nations. Earlier, the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) issued a warning to flight operators heading to Maiquetía International Airport (Caracas), urging them to "exercise caution" due to the worsening security situation. Amid the rising tensions, President Maduro and his US counterpart Donald Trump signalled a willingness to hold direct talks. Trump stated he "might talk" to Maduro but warned that "we can do things the easy way, that's fine, and if we have to do it the hard way that's fine, too." In turn, Maduro posted a video pointing to Christmas decorations in Caracas, attempting to show that life in the city was continuing as normal. An attempt by the industry body Iata to defuse the situation failed.
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