The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, yesterday challenged the warning from his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, that Venezuelan airspace will remain closed, and ordered the "restoration of civil air service" with Venezuela, although two Colombian airlines have not stopped flying to that country. "It's time for dialogue, not barbarism," Petro expressed on X. Last Saturday, Trump said on the social network Truth that Venezuelan airspace would remain "completely closed amid growing tension between Washington and Caracas and the large U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean. However, for now, Colombian airlines Wingo and Satena, Panama's Copa Airlines, Bolivia's Boliviana de Aviación, as well as the local companies Avior and Conviasa (state-owned) maintain their operations in Venezuela. This all comes after last November 21, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) urged "extreme caution" when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean, considering it a "potentially dangerous situation" in the area. For this reason, five days later, Venezuela's Ministry of Transport and the National Institute of Civil Aviation (INAC) revoked the flight concession to several international airlines, a decision that affected Iberia, TAP, Avianca, Latam Colombia, Turkish Airlines and Gol, accusing them of "joining the terrorism" promoted by the United States. In this sense, Colombia's Civil Aviation (Aerocivil) stated today in a statement that Venezuelan airspace "remains fully open and operational, without restrictions affecting civil air navigation." Colombia restores civil air service with Venezuela and invites the world to do the same. "In recent hours, statements have been made by a third state that has no interference or sovereign jurisdiction over Venezuelan airspace, making statements that have not been coordinated with the aviation authority of this country. He can do it with his airlines, but not with the world's airlines. The U.S. has no right to close Venezuelan airspace. These types of statements, which are outside the international legal framework, lack operational validity and generate confusion in the civil aviation system," the statement added.
