Venezuela Revokes Licenses of Six Airlines, Linking Them to U.S. ‘Terrorism’ Actions

Original article: Venezuela revoca permisos a seis aerolíneas por suspender vuelos y las vincula a “acciones de terrorismo” de EE.UU.

The Venezuelan Ministry of Transport announced on Wednesday the permanent revocation of operation licenses for six international airlines, linking them to the «terrorism» actions promoted by the United States government against the Caribbean nation.

The airlines affected by this measure include: Iberia Airlines of Spain S.A., TAP Portugal, Avianca, LATAM Airlines Colombia, Turkish Airlines, and GOL Linhas Aéreas S.A.

According to the official statement issued from Caracas, these companies unilaterally suspended their commercial flight operations to and from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, citing a Notam (Notice to Airmen) «issued by an aviation authority without competence in the Maiquetía FIR,» clearly referring to the alert issued last week by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as reported by RT.

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It is important to note that a Notam (Notice to Airmen) is a safety notification for aviators, alerting them about vital information for flight operations, such as airfield closures, temporary hazards (e.g., cranes, bird flocks), changes in services, procedures, and other aspects of airspace.

Meanwhile, the FIR, which in aviation stands for Flight Information Region, refers to a defined airspace where flight information and alert services are provided to ensure aircraft safety.

U.S. Agency Alert as a Trigger

The conflict erupted when the FAA warned air operators about a «potential risk at any altitude» in Venezuelan airspace. Specifically, the U.S. agency advised exercising caution when flying in the region due to the «deteriorating security situation and increasing military activity in Venezuela and its surroundings.»

This alert led several airlines to cancel or adjust their routes to and from the South American country, a move that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government has denounced as part of an economic suffocation campaign orchestrated from Washington.

Venezuela Denounces ‘Terrorism’ Actions and Discrediting Campaign

The high-ranking Venezuelan government quickly responded. The Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, heavily criticized the U.S. measure and its promoters, particularly U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

«The warlord, Marco Rubio, alias leader Marco, ordered the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States to issue an international alert to label Venezuelan airspace as a potential combat area to instill fear in international airlines, affect tourism, suffocate the country’s economy,» as well as harm Venezuelans “who are massively traveling by air at this time to spend Christmas and the New Year with their families,” stated the also Secretary General of the PSUV.

Military Deployment and Threats to Venezuela

These events occur amidst rising threats from U.S. President Donald Trump’s government against Venezuela, directly linked to the Republican mogul’s decision to deploy warships, a submarine, fighter jets, and troops in the Caribbean Sea off the Venezuelan coast since last August.

This measure, justified by the White House as part of the fight against drug trafficking, represents the largest military presence in the region in decades.

Washington subsequently announced «Operation Southern Lance,» claiming to «eliminate narco-terrorists» in the Western Hemisphere and “protect” the U.S. “from drugs that are killing” its citizens.

Amid this deployment, the U.S. has conducted several missile strikes in international waters of the Caribbean and eastern Pacific against vessels allegedly transporting drugs, without presenting evidence, in an offensive that has resulted in at least 80 fatalities.

In light of this situation, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has denounced that the real objective of the «multilateral aggression campaign» orchestrated by the U.S. is to facilitate a «regime change» and establish a «puppet government» to seize the immense oil and gas wealth of the Caribbean nation.

Maduro indicated that the discrediting actions undertaken by Washington against his administration aim to “justify anything” against the Bolivarian nation. He asserted that this strategy seeks to tarnish the image of Venezuela and its revolution as a pretext for aggression, something that “they have done many times.”

In a recent post on his Telegram account, the president noted that for the past 17 weeks, his country has been a victim of “imperialist aggression,” accompanied by a “psychological war.”

Nevertheless, he emphasized that despite the continuous attacks orchestrated from the White House, Venezuelans have built a “power of consciousness” and “will,” along with “an immense political, social, and military power.”

International Condemnation and Challenges to the U.S. Narrative

Washington’s stance has met skepticism and rejection internationally. Organizations such as the UN and even the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have indicated that Venezuela is not a major route for drug trafficking to the U.S., as over 80% of drugs use the Pacific route.

Russia, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the governments of Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil have condemned U.S. actions as an unnecessary escalation and a violation of sovereignty.

With the revocation of the licenses for the six airlines, Venezuela is hardening its stance against what it perceives as a multifaceted attack, closing its doors to companies that, in its view, become instruments of an economic and psychological war aimed at destabilizing the government and affecting its people.