Maduro revokes the license of Iberia and other companies while Trump escalates his rhetoric

Barcelona / MadridThe Venezuelan government has followed through on its threat and revoked the flight permits of Iberia and other international airlines, which it accuses of "joining the acts of terrorism" that, according to Caracas, are being promoted by the United States through an unprecedented military deployment in the Caribbean. The decision, announced by the Ministry of Transportation and the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC), also affects TAP, Avianca, Latam Colombia, Turkish Airlines, and Gol. All of these companies had suspended flights to Caracas following a warning issued on Friday by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which recommended that airlines "exercise extreme caution" when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean due to a "potentially dangerous situation." The true extent of this revocation—which could further isolate the country and limit its air connectivity during the peak holiday season—remains uncertain. Airlines like Iberia are hopeful that they will be able to "resume flights to Venezuela as soon as possible." Airline sources maintain that their "priority" is the safety of passengers and crew, and that since AESA, the Spanish aviation authority, recommends against flying to the country at this time, "it cannot operate in areas where there is a high risk to security." "We trust that when calm is restored in the area, normal operations can resume," Iberia sources indicate.

Before the official announcement, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello insisted that it is the Venezuelan executive "who decides who flies and who doesn't" and that it reserves "the right of admission." "The national government, in a sovereign decision, told the airlines: if you don't resume flights within 48 hours, don't resume them at all. Keep your planes and we'll keep our dignity. No problem," stated the second-in-command of Chavismo. For now, Copa, Wingo, Boliviana de Aviación, and Satena, as well as the Venezuelan airlines Avior and Conviasa (state-owned), are maintaining their operations in the country.

In this climate of tension, a US plane carrying 175 deported migrants landed around midday at Simón Bolívar International Airport, the country's main airport. According to the Ministry of Transportation, this flight demonstrates that "there is no danger in Venezuelan airspace" and exposes Washington's "double standard." Subsequently, the Maduro government asserted that the US had requested "special permits" to operate "repatriation routes with US aircraft."

Movements in the Caribbean

Meanwhile, the US Air Force revealed that B-52H bombers have conducted attack drills in the Caribbean this week, as part of Operation Southern Spear, announced on November 14 to combat drug trafficking from Latin America. Their exact location has not been specified. Also on Wednesday, Dominican President Luis Abinader and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that Washington will "temporarily" use two airports in the Dominican Republic—Las Américas International Airport and the San Isidro Air Force Base—for the transport of equipment and technical personnel. In Trinidad and Tobago, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissesar asserted that the White House has not requested that the country be used as a "base for any war against Venezuela," following the visit of US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, and rejected the notion that the US military presence on the island is related to any such activity.

More pressure

Donald Trump warned Nicolás Maduro this Wednesday that he could "do things the easy way... or the hard way," and the Venezuelan president responded to the escalating US pressure by urging his supporters to prepare to defend "every inch" of the country. Dressed in forest camouflage, Maduro told a rally in the capital, Caracas, that it was his historic duty to fight foreign aggressors, just as Venezuelan independence hero Simón Bolívar did two centuries ago. "We must be able to defend every inch of this blessed land from any imperialist threat or aggression, no matter where it comes from," Maduro declared in his speech Tuesday to "the revolutionary people of Caracas." Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez warned that "the way forward is not to send ships" or to threaten Venezuela "militarily." Hours later, Minister Cabello announced the start, beginning this Thursday, of a community organizing phase "for any circumstance," without clarifying its content, and appealed to defend the country amidst the tension caused by the US military movement.