In statements made in New York, Paulo Rangel expressed concerns to U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, urging attention to the Portuguese community and a diplomatic resolution to the tensions between Washington and Caracas.
“I had the opportunity to speak directly with American authorities to highlight the significant presence of the Portuguese community, and I did so at the highest level,” Rangel stated.
“I was recently at NATO with the Deputy Secretary of State [American], who is well-acquainted with Caracas and the Portuguese community, Christopher Landau, and we discussed this situation to raise awareness among American authorities regarding the Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian communities,” explained Rangel.
The minister emphasized that several countries have urged the United States to consider the role of their respective communities in Venezuela, which could play a significant role in the future.
“Therefore, alongside Spain, Italy, and the European Union, we are advocating for a peaceful, negotiated solution to the current tension in that country, which is very important to Portugal,” he stressed.
The minister reiterated today that there is no record of any situation involving Portuguese residents in Venezuela that would warrant alarm, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement about the closure of Venezuelan airspace and increased pressure on Caracas.
When questioned about whether the Portuguese government has a plan to evacuate Portuguese nationals or descendants in the event of a U.S. attack, Paulo Rangel assured that “as in any crisis situation, Portugal has contingency plans,” but “it is not justified to discuss them” at present.
“Frankly, it is not justified to discuss them, as they are prepared in abstract for various global situations. When a more sensitive situation arises, they are adapted accordingly. That is what we are doing. Our hope and desire are that it will not be necessary to activate any contingency plan, which would be a very positive sign for the Portuguese communities,” he remarked.
“So far, we have no reason to sound alarm among the Portuguese community, but communications with the community, particularly with their representatives, have been significantly strengthened. Therefore, we are monitoring the situation closely at the Embassy and Consulates in places like Caracas and Valencia,” he guaranteed, in New York.
Portugal’s consulates-general in the Venezuelan cities of Caracas and Valencia offered emergency telephone lines on Saturday to Portuguese nationals in Venezuela, aiming to ensure protection and assistance for fellow countrymen.
Under the pretext of combating drug trafficking, Washington has maintained a naval and air deployment in the Caribbean waters close to Venezuela since September, even deploying the world’s largest aircraft carrier to the region.
On November 21, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States advised “extreme caution” when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean due to what it termed a “potentially dangerous situation” in the region.
Several airlines, including TAP, subsequently suspended their flights to that country.
Donald Trump has even considered ground attacks in Venezuelan territory in the fight against drug cartels.
