“I hope that peace will be preserved, especially because Portugal has a long-standing and ancient community in Venezuela that we must protect and focus on,” said André Ventura.
Speaking on the sidelines of a session in Coimbra, in response to a question about the situation in Venezuela, Ventura argued that Portugal needs to be prepared to welcome a potential return of Portuguese emigrants.
“We must be prepared, perhaps that’s the most important thing right now. We have already received many Portuguese and Portuguese descendants from Venezuela who returned because the country is in dire straits, like all communist countries, but maybe we need to prepare to receive more in the near future,” emphasized the Chega party leader.
Regarding the cancellation of TAP flights to the capital, Caracas, Ventura reaffirmed that Portuguese communities in the country must be protected “and that those flying to Venezuela at this time face no life risk, as would be the case if any military action occurs.”
“It is also known that Nicolás Maduro’s regime [the Venezuelan President] has not helped promote peace: On the contrary, it has been an instigator of crime, drug trafficking, destruction, and poverty,” he accused.
Reaffirming that Portugal must ensure the safety of the Portuguese community in Venezuela, Ventura also expressed the hope that Maduro would leave the leadership of the South American country.
“If it’s possible, amid all this, for a dictator like Nicolás Maduro to leave power, that would be ideal. But that’s an issue more relevant to Venezuelans than to us,” he noted.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, warned today that Venezuela’s airspace should be considered “completely closed.”
“All airlines, pilots, drug traffickers, and human traffickers should consider the airspace over and around Venezuela as completely closed,” wrote the U.S. leader on his social network, Truth Social.
This statement from Trump comes at a time when the United States is ramping up pressure on Venezuela with a large military deployment in the Caribbean, including the world’s largest aircraft carrier, and is contemplating ground attacks in Venezuelan territory in the fight against drug cartels.
In response, Caracas condemned Trump’s message, labeling it a “colonialist threat.”
On November 21, the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommended “extreme caution” when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean due to what it considers a “potentially dangerous situation” in the region.
Several airlines, including TAP, have suspended their flights to the country.
The Venezuelan government followed through on its threat and revoked the operating licenses of TAP, Iberia, Avianca, Latam Colombia, Turkish Airlines, and Gol, accusing them of “joining the acts of terrorism” promoted by the United States.
The country has a significant community of Portuguese and Portuguese-descendants. In 2019, estimates indicated approximately 300,000 people.
