Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 06/Oct 20:58

CAL continues Venezuela flights suspension for October

THE suspension of flights to Caracas, Venezuela, from Trinidad and Tobago will continue till the end of October. This was confirmed by Caribbean Airlines (CAL) chairman Reyna Kowlessar, who said the decision is based on the results of CAL’s weekly risk assessment by the safety, quality assurance and security departments. “But of course this is subject to change at the weekly review,” she told Newsday on October 6 ​She said CAL is prepared to resume the flights but guides its operations based on weekly assessment. “Once the risk is mitigated, we will recommence the operations.” CAL said it will still be able to facilitate flights on other air carriers. The initial suspension was announced on September 4 amid rising tensions between Venezuela and the US that saw military ships being positioned near Venezuela’s border in an effort to combat drug trafficking. The preceding strike on September 2 by a US Marine ship killed 11 alleged gang members who were said to be transporting narcotics from Venezuela to the US. There have since been three more strikes on vessels said to be carrying narcotics in regional international waters. The most recent occurred in early October, killing four men on a vessel in international waters just off the coast of Venezuela. In a post on X on October 3, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said he directed the strike on the “narco-trafficking vessel affiliated with designated terrorist organisations.” He said the vessel was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics heading to poison the American people. "Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route." Hegseth said the strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has consistently expressed support for this action. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on September 26, she said the threat of narco traffickers demands that TT fight fire with fire within the boundaries of the law. “For this reason, we've recently begun using the supreme power of the United States military to destroy Venezuelan terrorists and trafficking networks led by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the USA." The support has been rebuked by Maduro, who said he believes that Persad-Bissessar has "lost her mind" in light of the comments. After her return from the UNGA, Persad-Bissessar told the media that she is ready to travel to Venezuela and hold negotiation talks following the US’ support for approving licences to develop the Dragon gas field in Venezuela. The post CAL continues Venezuela flights suspension for October appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.