In comments at the Champalimaud Foundation in Lisbon, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed concern about the situation in Venezuela, stating that while this is a governmental and diplomatic issue, he remains worried.
“The same concern is present, thinking about the Portuguese community, regarding the announcement made public, which I hope is not a definitive decision by the Venezuelan authorities,” he stated.
According to the head of state, the Venezuelan authorities “know how important the Portuguese community is” to Portugal and bilateral relations “and they know how the Portuguese community has a significant connection to a Portuguese aviation company, TAP.”
“Therefore, it is not difficult for observers to understand how everything should be approached with great care and precision, and our diplomacy is very adept at this, and I trust in the government’s handling of the situation,” he added.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa mentioned that there is “a very strong Portuguese community in Venezuela” and reiterated his concern over “everything that has been reported” about the situation in the country and the escalating tensions with the United States of America.
“All of this impacts or could impact, at some point, in some way, this Portuguese community,” he emphasized.
TAP stated today that the lack of security conditions, as required by its internal standards and the regulator, currently prohibits flights to Venezuela, but assured that it wishes to continue serving the Portuguese community in that country.
The Venezuelan authorities followed through on their threat and revoked the operating licenses of several international airlines, including TAP, which they accused of “joining the acts of terrorism” promoted by the United States of America.
The decision affects Iberia, TAP, Avianca, Latam Colombia, Turkish Airlines, and Gol.
These airlines had canceled flights to and from Caracas after the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommended last Friday, “extreme caution” when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean, citing what it described as “a potentially dangerous situation in the region.”
