After the Venezuelan government categorically rejected the announcement by the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, to declare the closure of airspace over and around Venezuela, which he described as “arbitrary, hostile, and contrary to national sovereignty,” Nicolas Maduro activated A “special plan” to ensure the entry and exit of affected citizens from the country.
“The United States government accepted Maria Machado’s request to try Closing Venezuelan airspace“Reads a message posted by Vice President Delcy Rodriguez via Telegram.
“In response to this aggression, President Nicolas Maduro ordered the development of a special plan for the RThe return of Venezuelans stranded in other countries“As well as facilitating exit routes for those who have to travel outside our territories,” he wrote.
The official added that Venezuela has activated all multilateral mechanisms stipulated by international law to “immediately stop this illegal and unlawful act.”
Beyond the special plan launched by the Caribbean president, one of the largest Russian tour operators in Venezuela It began redirecting its clients to Cuba.
Pegas Touristik, one of the largest companies in this sector in Russia, announced on Sunday that “tourists who were supposed to travel to Venezuela will be redirected to Varadero, Cuba.” As the Association of Russian Tour Operators (ATOR) noted on its official website, Pegas Touristik informed the associated agencies that the Moscow-Porlamar flight scheduled for Monday was canceled and the Moscow-Varadero flight was operated instead.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro did not respond directly to the action taken by Washington. Photo: EFEATOR explained this decision due to “the potential threat to the security of civilian flights in Venezuelan airspace due to the conflict with the United States.”
As confirmed by the Russian tour operator, tourists will be given options to stay in hotels of the same level or even a higher category in Varadero, or, in case they do not want to rest in Cuba, make a deposit to use for future bookings.
“Flights to Venezuela will be restored as soon as the situation returns to normal,” Pegas Touristik Director Anna Podgornaya noted and stated that the Russian side will allocate a special flight for the return of all Russian tourists currently resting on Margarita Island.
A Venezuelan government plane made an unusual flight to the border with Brazil
A Venezuelan government plane made an unusual flight to the border with Brazil, according to CNN. The television network provided details about the plane that arrived in Brazil, which Maduro had previously used.
According to published data, an Airbus A319 with registration YV2984, operated by the Venezuelan state airline Conviasa, took off from Caracas and arrived in the Brazilian state of Roraima. Records indicate that the plane landed at Santa Elena de Uairen Airport, about 250 kilometers from the border.
International analyst Lorival Santana, consulted by CNN, reported that according to military and civilian sources, Maduro has not communicated with Brazilian authorities and there is no indication that he is trying to flee. For its part, the Brazilian army on the border confirmed that there was no active alert regarding abnormal movements by the Venezuelan government.
Without a direct response from Maduro, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry disavowed Donald Trump’s statements
After the blockade announced by Trump, President Nicolas Maduro did not respond directly to the action taken by Washington. Yes, the Caracas Foreign Ministry did, which issued a statement condemning the American decision: “an unprecedented measure for decades in Latin America and the Caribbean,” as they put it.
In the statement, the Venezuelan government rejects Trump’s statements, which were published on social media, in which the US President directly addressed “airlines, pilots, drug traffickers, and human traffickers” to warn that they “consider the airspace over and around Venezuela to be completely closed.”
Caracas interpreted the letter as a “threat to sovereignty” and an attempt to apply the “illegitimate extraterritorial jurisdiction of the United States” in Venezuela.
Following the US President’s announcement, Venezuela unilaterally suspended migrant repatriation flights, which had been maintained regularly, despite growing tension in the wake of the US naval and military deployment in the southern Caribbean.
According to the figure provided by the Maduro government, in 2025, since Trump came to power, 75 flights have been agreed for Venezuelans deported by the United States. The last batch arrived last Wednesday at Maiquetia Airport, coming from Arizona, carrying 175 Venezuelans expelled from North American territory.
The Chavista government urged the international community, the United Nations and multilateral organizations to condemn this “aggressive and immoral act” and warned that it would not accept “orders, threats or interference” in its airspace, territorial integrity or aviation security.
Trump’s action was preceded by an official notice from US aviation authorities recommending that airlines avoid flying to and from Venezuela, due to ongoing military flights.
A group of airlines decided to temporarily suspend their flights after that recommendation, and the Maduro government responded by canceling the licenses of six international companies, including the European companies TAP, Iberia, and Turkish, in addition to the South American companies Avianca, Gol, and Latam.
With information from agencies