Venezuela accuses administration of ‘unilaterally’ canceling immigrant repatriation flights

The Trump administration canceled immigrant repatriation flights to Venezuela. The news broke Saturday afternoon, after President Donald Trump encouraged the international community to consider Venezuelan airspace closed. Amidst maximum tension between Washington and Caracas, the Venezuelan regime described the action as unfair and "unilateral."

"To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" the Republican wrote in his Social Truth account.

Hours later, the Nicolás Maduro regime responded with a harsh statement condemning President Trump's words, alleging that they signify "new extravagant, illegal and unjustified aggression against the people of Venezuela."

In addition, the regime remarked that it would not accept "orders, threats or interference coming from any foreign power."

"Venezuela demands unrestricted respect for its airspace, protected under the rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and reaffirmed in the Chicago Convention of 1944, Article 1 of which categorically recognizes that 'each State has exclusive and absolute sovereignty over the air area covered by its territory,'" the Venezuelan regime said in a statement.

"The Bolivarian government warns that Venezuela will not accept orders, threats or interference from any foreign power. No authority outside Venezuelan institutions has the power to interfere, block or condition the use of the national airspace," it added.

Regarding the repatriation flights, the Venezuelan regime stated that 75 flights have already been carried out, which transported 13,956 individuals. The last one arrived in La Guaira on Friday, Nov. 28. Coming from Arizona, it transported 136 migrants.

In the midst of an unprecedented military deployment in the Caribbean, the White House on November 24 designated Cártel de los Soles as a "foreign terrorist organization." For all practical purposes, the designation is given under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Among other things, it makes it a federal offense to support the group in question, in addition to financial penalties and immigration restrictions on its members. In turn, in this geopolitical context, it is a strong message to the Venezuelan regime.

As reported The New York Times, Trump and Maduro communicated on the phone before the designation took effect.