U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he has informed acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez that he’s going to be opening up all industrial airspace over Venezuela and Americans will soon give you the chance to go to.
Trump said he instructed U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and U.S. military leaders to open up the airspace by the tip of the day.
“Americans might be very shortly in a position to go to Venezuela, they usually’ll be protected there,” the Republican president said.
Venezuela’s government didn’t immediately comment on Trump’s announcement.
Earlier this week, Trump’s administration notified Congress that it was taking the primary steps to possibly reopen the shuttered U.S. Embassy in Venezuela because it explores restoring relations with the South American country following the U.S. military raid that ousted then-President Nicolás Maduro.
In a notice to lawmakers dated Monday and obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday, the State Department said it was sending in a daily and growing contingent of temporary staffers to conduct “select” diplomatic functions.
“We’re writing to notify the committee of the Department of State’s intent to implement a phased approach to potentially resume Embassy Caracas operations,” the department said in separate but equivalent letters to 10 House and Senate committees.
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Diplomatic relations between the 2 countries collapsed in 2019, and the U.S. State Department warned Americans shouldn’t travel to Venezuela, raising its travel advisory to the very best level.
The State Department on Thursday still listed a travel advisory for Venezuela at its highest level, “Don’t travel,” warning that Americans face a high risk of wrongful detention, torture, kidnapping and more.
The State Department didn’t immediately reply to a message Thursday inquiring about whether it was changing its warning.
In November, as Trump was ramping up pressure on Maduro, he declared that the airspace “above and surrounding” Venezuela must be regarded as “closed in its entirety.”
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which has jurisdiction generally over the U.S. and its territories, then told pilots to be cautious flying across the country due to heightened military activity.
After that FAA warning, international airlines began canceling flights to Venezuela due to heightened military activity.
American Airlines, which was the last U.S. airline flying to Venezuela when it suspended flights there in March 2019, announced Thursday that it intends to reinstate nonstop service there from the U.S. in the approaching months.
“Now we have a greater than 30-year history connecting Venezolanos to the U.S., and we’re able to renew that incredible relationship,” Nat Pieper, American’s chief industrial officer, said in an announcement. “By restarting service to Venezuela, American will offer customers the chance to reunite with families and create latest business and commerce with the US.”
American said it will share additional details concerning the return to service in the approaching months as it really works with federal authorities on security assessments and essential permissions.
AP reporters Matthew Lee in Washington and Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.
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