Is Trump going to run Venezuela’s oil industry for the long term?
While Venezuela is still reeling from the capture and arrest of its disputed leader, many are feeling the unease of big decisions that lie ahead.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Jan. 16 it is issuing a series of warnings to airlines to exercise caution when flying over Central America and parts of South America, citing the risks of potential military activities and GPS interference.
“The FAA issued flight advisory Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) for specified areas of Mexico, Central American, Panama, Bogata, Guayaquil, and Mazatlán Oceanic Flight Regions, and in airspace within the eastern Pacific Ocean,” the agency told USA TODAY in a statement. The advisory began on Jan. 16, and will last 60 days.
The FAA did not respond to USA TODAY requests for information about what prompted the alert. Other U.S. officials, including at the White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to requests for information. The Pentagon referred questions back to the FAA.
USA TODAY also reached out to several major U.S. airlines, including Delta Air Lines, Spirit Airlines, JetBlue Airways and American Airlines. A United Airlines spokesperson told USA TODAY in an email that the carrier is monitoring the situation.
The warnings come amid increased tensions between the United States and regional leaders after the Trump administration mounted a large-scale military buildup in the southern Caribbean, attacked Venezuela and seized the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro in a military operation. President Donald Trump has raised the possibility of other military actions in the area, including against Colombia.
Trump said last week that cartels were running Mexico and suggested the U.S. could strike land targets to combat them, in one of a series of threats to deploy U.S. military force against drug cartels.
Mexico responded to the FAA’s advisory, saying it is only a precaution and does not restrict Mexican airspace or airlines. The notice applies solely to U.S. operators, and aviation operations in Mexico remain unaffected, the ministry said in a Jan. 16 statement.
After the attack on Venezuela, the FAA curbed flights throughout the Caribbean, which forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights by major airlines. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told Reuters earlier this week there had been good coordination between the agency and U.S. military before the Venezuela operation.
Last month, a JetBlue passenger jet bound for New York took evasive action to avoid a mid-air collision with a U.S. Air Force tanker plane near Venezuela. JetBlue Flight 1112 had departed the Caribbean nation of Curaçao and was flying about 40 miles off the coast of Venezuela when the Airbus plane reported encountering the Air Force jet, which did not have its transponder activated.
Earlier this month, the FAA temporarily suspended nearly all commercial flights around Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, leaving thousands of travelers stranded from canceled flights and scrambling to be rebooked.
Contributing Michael Loria, USA TODAY senior reporter; Reuters
link