The first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela in nearly seven years landed on Thursday from Miami bound for Caracas, marking a significant step in the reactivation of connections between the two countries.
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The operation, by US carrier American Airlines, symbolises the gradual re-establishment of air links following a suspension imposed in 2019 amid political tensions and security concerns. During this time, travellers were forced to resort to indirect routes via third countries.
The flight, which lasted about three hours, was greeted with enthusiasm by passengers, many of them members of the Venezuelan diaspora in the US, who celebrated the possibility of returning to their country without stopovers after years of restrictions.
After landing, the aircraft commander displayed a Venezuelan flag from one of the windows, while passengers descended the stairs carrying small banners of the South American country.
A delegation from the White House arrived on this flight, accompanied by US businessmen, with the aim of advancing economic and cooperation agreements in sectors such as energy, oil and gas.
On the tarmac, they were welcomed by the Venezuelan Minister of Transport, Jacqueline Faria; the Deputy Foreign Minister, Oliver Blanco; and the US Chargé d'Affaires, John Barrett, among other authorities, who applauded as the plane, decorated in red, white and blue to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence, opened its doors.
With this first direct link, the US and Venezuela are taking another step towards restoring mobility between the two territories, with plans to increase frequencies in the coming weeks if operating conditions remain stable.