The climate of civil unrest that has followed the Venezuelan presidential election of July 28, 2024, has led to the cancellation of all flights between Venezuela and three other Latin American countries: Panama, the Dominican Republic and Peru.
The governments of the three affected countries had been among the most vocally critical of the way the incumbent Venezuelan government has managed the electoral process.
The flight ban came into effect at 20:00 local time on July 31, 2024, and affects mostly Panama-based Copa Airlines, which operated up to three daily flights between Caracas (CCS) and its “Hub of the Americas” at Panama City (PTY), as well as daily flights to Maracaibo (MAR).
A search on the Cirium SRS Analyzer schedules database shows two foreign airlines affected by the ban: LATAM, which operated a daily flight between Caracas and Lima (LIM) and Dominican carrier SkyHigh Dominicana, which links Caracas and Valencia (VLN) to Santo Domingo (SDQ).
Three Venezuelan carriers, Rutaca, Avior and Laser, had also programed flights between Venezuela and the Dominican Republic at the time the crisis broke out.
It is unclear whether the Venezuelan government will extend the ban to other countries in the near future, as more voices join in its condemnation of the way the electoral process was conducted.
Venezuelan opposition as well as a large number of foreign governments and international observers complained about numerous irregularities that took place during the election and have claimed that the results were rigged.
The Maduro government has reacted by expelling diplomats from several countries that questioned the legitimacy of the official election result, among them Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Perú y Uruguay.