Trump orders re-opening of Venezuela airspace

Donald Trump

• US to reopen Venezuela airspace after nearly four weeks of closure
• American Airlines to resume flights, pending government approval and security checks
• Major oil companies are scouting Venezuela after new agreements signed

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President Donald Trump said he had ordered commercial airspace over Venezuela to be reopened Thursday, nearly four weeks after the US military operation to topple Nicolas Maduro.

Trump told a cabinet meeting he had just spoken to Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez "and informed her that we're going to be opening up all commercial airspace over Venezuela."

"American citizens will very shortly be able to go to Venezuela and they will be safe there. It's under very strong control," Trump said at the White House.

Trump added that he had instructed US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy "and everybody else concerned, including the military, that if you would, by the end of today, I'd like you to have the airspace over Venezuela" opened.

About two hours after Trump's announcement, the Federal Aviation Administration announced on X that it had removed four notices to airlines warning about airspace in the region, including over the South American nation.

The alerts "were issued as precautionary measures and are no longer necessary," the FAA said.

"We've got this, Mr. President," Duffy said on X. "We are clearing the way for travel between the United States and Venezuela."

American Airlines announced plans to reinstate service, saying it was in contact with US officials and would schedule flights "pending government approval and security assessments."

The United States has kept Venezuelan airspace closed to commercial flights since the January 3 military operation that captured leftist leader Maduro, who now faces trial on drug and terrorism charges in New York.

Trump also said that major oil companies were "going to Venezuela now, scouting it out and picking their locations."

Following the fall of Maduro, Venezuela's Rodriguez quickly signed oil agreements with Trump, who has declared that his administration now controls the sector -- the main engine of the Venezuelan economy.