Colombia, country's airlines struggle to maintain services due to U.S. siege against Venezuela

teleSUR English

Colombian airlines are facing increasing difficulties in maintaining their services due to the siege imposed by the United States against Venezuela, which has led to operational restrictions, disruptions in international routes, and a direct impact on regional connectivity. teleSUR

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00:00Interventionist policies and siege carried out by the Trump administration against Venezuela

00:04were also rejected from Colombia.

00:07The government of that country said that the U.S. announcement of the alleged closure of

00:10Venezuelan airspace is a violation of various treaties.

00:14Our correspondent, Nandarillo Tobar, has the details.

00:20After Trump's announcement about the alleged closure of Venezuelan airspace, some Colombian

00:26airlines were divided between maintaining their services or complying with the directive

00:30issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, and suspended their operations.

00:36Some members affiliated with airport services in Colombia's capital claim that such actions

00:42are part of the siege the United States maintains against Venezuela.

00:48Regrettable, because this shows that at least in the airline where I work, they use a commercial

00:53slogan that says, the sky belongs to everyone clearly with this decision we are seeing that

00:59it is not so, obviously, these are political decisions due to the situation that has been

01:05worsening, and it is undoubtedly part of those actions by the U.S. to blockade Venezuela, and

01:10well, the alert in the region is precisely a possible intervention that is blatantly in

01:15violation of all regulations.

01:24According to inquiries with airline workers who have halted their flights to Venezuela,

01:28the companies have decided either to reroute flights to a border city with that country,

01:34or to offer a proactive refund, or a partial refund. Airlines such as Arvianca have taken such measures,

01:40affecting their passengers. The situation reported by colleagues is very complex.

01:48The option available is the relocation of clients via Cucuta.

01:56So then they delay the flight that one had already scheduled beforehand, and you arrive at a place

02:01only to find that everything is blocked, the economy is terrible, and who is going to answer for that?

02:06It is terrible. And who does respond to someone for that? Let me tell you.

02:14The President Colombian, Gustavo Petro, said that the closure of Venezuelan airspace is illegal,

02:22and maintained that no airline should accept illegal orders regarding the airspace of any country.

02:28He requested that President Trump restore respect, and international legal order. Meanwhile,

02:34the Civil Aeronautics Authority, through a communique, reported that Venezuelan airspace

02:40operates normally and safely, rejecting statements from third countries, that, without jurisdiction,

02:46generate confusion for civil aviation.

02:48In Latin America, all of this highlights the need for countries and governments to follow their

02:57peoples who are supporting Venezuela and stopping this offensive by Trump.

03:06Unfortunately, there has not been much courage in facing this situation.

03:10Now, with the air blackade, the only one from abroad who has spoken out is Petro.

03:15In a firm stance, he asked the International Civil Aviation Organization to make a statement

03:24on the matter, which it has not done.

03:33Meanwhile, in recent hours, Donald Trump asserted that Colombia could be the target of ground attacks

03:39due to cocaine production, to which Gustavo Petro responded by inviting him to take part in the

03:44country's ongoing fight against drugs.

03:47Hernan Darioto Varga, Itantele Sur, Bogotá, Colombia.

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