Donald Trump opens the skies over Venezuela. He also praises cooperation with Maduro's successors

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he intends to open the airspace over Venezuela by the end of the day and allow civilian flights to the country to resume. This is to be the result of his conversation with the acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez.

– I just spoke with the president of Venezuela and informed her that we will soon open all commercial airspace over Venezuela. American citizens will soon be able to travel to Venezuela and will be safe there because the country is under tight control, Trump said during a cabinet meeting. – And former residents of Venezuela – some want to return, some want to come back to visit – will be able to do so, he added.

The president has instructed his transport minister, Sean Duffy, and the military to do so by the end of Thursday. Duffy, who was present at the meeting, said he would do it.

Trump announced the “closure” of the airspace over Venezuela on November 29 last year as part of pressure on the country's then-leader Nicolas Maduro. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) then issued a warning, instructing pilots to avoid Venezuela. American carriers have been banned from flying over Venezuela since 2019.

On Thursday, the president once again praised cooperation with Maduro's successors in Venezuela and said that thanks to the sale of Venezuelan oil donated to the US, the country receives more money than ever. He noted, however, that part of the revenues would go to the USA.

From Washington Oskar Górzyński (PAP)

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