International flights to Venezuela have been widely disrupted amid continued U.S. pressure, making it increasingly difficult for Venezuelans living abroad to return home as the New Year approaches.
In Brazil alone, more than 200,000 Venezuelans reside. Flights that once took around six hours between Brazil and Venezuela have become unavailable, forcing travelers to transit through multiple countries and spend dozens of hours on the road.
A China Media Group (CMG) reporter experienced the same inconvenience of flight disruptions, spending a total of 36 hours to travel from Brazil's Sao Paulo to the Venezuelan capital Caracas only after transiting through Panama and Barbados.
At Panama City's international airport, most flights bound for Venezuela remain suspended. Before the U.S. announced a "comprehensive closure" of Venezuelan airspace, Panama served as a major regional transit hub. Airlines such as Copa Airlines previously operated at least two daily flights between Panama City and Caracas.
With direct routes cut off, many Venezuelan travelers have been forced to reroute through Caribbean countries such as Cuba and Barbados. However, flights between these destinations are often limited to once a week, increasing the risk of missing family reunions during the holiday season.
"I currently live in Montreal, Canada for my studies. And I am in Barbados because I'm trying to get to Venezuela to visit my family. But to come to Venezuela, we have to do many stops," a Venezuelan traveler named Andreia complained while waiting for her flight in Barbados' Grantley Adams International Airport.
"To Caracas we used to fly the same day. [To go to] Caracas [now needs] two days. [Before was] 1,200 dollars [for] a round trip, right now just one way trip [costs] 1,300. It's like double the price," Venezuelan citizen Ruth said while transferring to her country via Barbados.
"In fact, when I left Venezuela, the United States had already imposed blockade. Now the situation is very bad, and many people are in serious difficulty. You never know what will happen tomorrow. I hope we can get out of this situation as soon as possible," said Venezuelan passenger Alejandro, who was also waiting for his flight at the airport.
For almost four months, the United States has maintained a significant military presence in the Caribbean, much of it off Venezuela's coast, purportedly to combat drug trafficking -- a claim Venezuela has denounced as a thinly veiled attempt to bring about regime change in Caracas.
U.S. pressure disrupts Venezuela's int'l flights, forcing citizens to take indirect routes home
