Maduro suspends flights with Panama and the Dominican Republic due to “interference”

The Venezuelan government announced the temporary suspension, starting July 31, of commercial flights to and from Panama and the Dominican Republic, in rejection of “interference actions” by these countries regarding the presidential elections held on Sunday in the South American nation.

In a statement, the government explained that this suspension, which begins at 8:00 a.m. local time (12:00 GMT) next Wednesday, also responds to “the presumption of the use of civil aviation for purposes not compatible with security principles.”

The Ministry of Transport “reserves legal action, in firm support of the political decisions of the State, “in order to respect, preserve and defend the inalienable right to self-determination of the Venezuelan people,” the government added in the text.

Flights are in high demand

Panama and the Dominican Republic are countries frequently used by Venezuelans and citizens of other nationalities to make air connections due to the low supply of direct flights to and from Venezuela.

Hours before, The administration of Nicolás Maduro demanded that both countries, as well as Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru and Uruguay, “immediately withdraw their representatives from Venezuelan territory,” in rejection of his “interventionist actions and statements” regarding the presidential elections.

Venezuela also decided to “withdraw all diplomatic personnel from missions” in these seven Latin American countries that questioned Maduro’s second re-election.

On Monday, the governments of Uruguay, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and the Dominican Republic expressed concern about the conduct of the presidential elections, requested a review of the results and called for an urgent meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS).

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