Several international airlines have canceled flights to Venezuela after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned pilots to exercise caution when flying in Venezuelan airspace due to deteriorating security conditions and increased military activity, LETA reports citing the Associated Press.
The president of the Venezuelan Airlines Association, Marisela de Loaisa, confirmed to the Associated Press that six carriers have suspended flights indefinitely — TAP, LATAM, Avianca, Iberia, Gol, and Caribbean.
Turkish Airlines has halted flights from November 24 to 28.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated on Sunday on platform X that "it is necessary to ensure regular air connections with all countries in Latin America, as well as from Latin America to the rest of the world."
"States should not block each other, as blocking states means blocking people, and that is a crime against humanity," Petro noted.
On Friday, the FAA warned pilots that threats "could pose a potential danger to aircraft at all altitudes," as well as to aircraft taking off and landing in the country and even those on the ground.
This warning came amid increasing pressure from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The U.S. military has conducted bomber flights off the coast of Venezuela, sometimes as part of training maneuvers simulating an attack, and has also deployed the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford to the region.
The U.S. has carried out a series of strikes on small vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean, which Washington claims were transporting drugs to the U.S.
Since the campaign began in early September, more than 80 people have been killed as a result of these strikes.
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