Venezuela’s Air Connectivity Worsens
The Colombian airline Satena suspends flights, while Laser Airlines cancels two flights from Caracas to Madrid.
By Deborah Peña (La Estrella de Panama)
HAVANA TIMES – The Colombian state-owned airline Satena announced the temporary suspension of its operations to and from Valencia, Venezuela, due to intermittent navigation signals and security alerts detected in the Caribbean Sea— a measure aimed at safeguarding the integrity of its passengers.
According to the newspaper El Tiempo, the decision comes amid growing military tension in the region, following previous suspensions of flights to Caracas by several national and international airlines.
The Colombian airline had been flying twice a week to the city of Valencia, two hours from the capital, and is the third largest airline in the South American country.
The decision by Colombia’s state airline contradicts statements by President Gustavo Petro, who has said that it is safe to travel to the neighboring country.
Laser Airlines, meanwhile, reported on Thursday through a statement that it will be unable to operate its flights between Caracas and Madrid scheduled for December 5 and 8.
According to Laser Airlines, the flights were canceled due to a force majeure situation linked to restrictions imposed by the Spanish Aviation Safety Agency (AESA).
The Venezuelan airline explained that flights on the Caracas–Madrid–Caracas route will remain suspended as long as the operational limitations communicated by the Spanish authorities remain in place.
Wingo Airlines of Panamá also announced the temporary suspension of its operations to and from the Venezuelan capital, after detecting intermittent navigation signals during one of its flights.
Satena, Wingo, and even Copa Airlines (based in Panama) have all reiterated that these suspensions are preventive and temporary.
Copa Airlines announced on Thursday that it had decided to extend the temporary suspension of its operations to and from Caracas until Friday, December 12.
The Venezuelan government warned that it will withdraw air traffic rights from airlines that interrupt their flights to the country.
The US president’s offensive against drug trafficking in the region—without presenting evidence that the targeted vessels were transporting drugs—has already claimed the lives of more than 80 people. The family of a Colombian fisherman was killed in a bombing that his government denounced before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), AFP reported in a note published Thursday.
Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro insists that the real goal of the attacks is to overthrow him.
First published in Spanish by La Estrella de Panama and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.