Maduro’s government alleges that suspension of flights is a “protection mechanism”

The Minister of Transportation of Venezuela, Ramón Velásquez, assured that the suspension of commercial flights with Panama, Dominican Republic, Peru and Chile responds to a “people protection mechanism”the state channel Venezolana de Televisión reported this Thursday.

“This measure with countries like Panama, the Dominican Republic, Peru and Chile are decisions that have been made by the high government as a mechanism to protect the people to prevent people with some nefarious intentions from entering our country,” said Velásquez, quoted as saying. in a VTV press release

He added that trade relations with these nations “are maintained and within the development of the economy.”

Velásquez indicated that they articulate with the airlines the actions to be taken, but -he said- They hope that in a reasonable time, which was not detailed, the number of frequencies that they had with these countries can be resumed.

The minister said that at this time it is an extreme security situation to “maintain control of all passengers, both national and foreign,” who enter the Caribbean nation.

Suspension of flights to Panama, Dominican Republic, Peru and Chile

On September 25, the Venezuelan government suspended, for an undefined period, commercial air operations with Chile, a source from the Ministry of Transportation informed EFE.

According to a NOTAM issued by the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC), attached to that State portfolio, “air-commercial passenger transport operations to and from the Republic of Chile are suspended.”

The authorities suspended these operations a day after the president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, in his speech before the UN General Assembly, called the Venezuelan government a dictatorship, which he accused of trying to “steal” the July 28 elections. in which Nicolás Maduro was proclaimed the winner by the National Electoral Council (CNE).

The suspension of flights with Chile is added to the temporary cessation of air operations with Panama, the Dominican Republic and Peruin force since July 31 by order of the Venezuelan Executive, in rejection “of the interference of right-wing governments” with respect to the presidential elections, whose disaggregated results are still unknown.

The president of the Venezuelan Airlines Association (ALAV), Marisela de Loaiza, recently told EFE that The suspension of flights with Panama, the Dominican Republic and Peru is a political measure with which the oil country reduced its international connectivity by 54%.

Of the 181 international flights per week that there were before the measure, 83 remained, that is, 98 less, which is equivalent to about 15,000 weekly seats that are no longer available, according to the association.