Venezuela's presidential office confirmed on Thursday that the country will reopen its commercial airspace immediately.
According to the office, the South American country's commercial airspace will be reopened following a phone conversation between Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez and U.S. President Donald Trump.
American Airlines said Thursday it plans to resume service to Venezuela, pending approval from the U.S. government and the completion of safety assessments.
Venezuela confirms reopening of commercial airspace
Venezuela confirms reopening of commercial airspace
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on Thursday slammed U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order threatening tariffs on countries selling oil to Cuba, calling it a "brutal act of aggression".
"We denounce to the world this brutal act of aggression against Cuba and its people, who for more than 65 years have been subjected to the longest and cruelest economic blockade ever imposed on an entire nation and who are now guaranteed to be subjected to extreme living conditions," the foreign minister said on social media.
Rodriguez condemned the new escalation by the U.S. against Cuba, saying it relies on a long list of lies that seek to portray Cuba as a so-called "threat", so as to impose a total blockade on fuel supplies to Cuba.
However, facts demonstrate that the United States is the real threat to regional peace, security, and stability, and its actions constitute aggression against the peoples of the Americas, said the foreign minister.
Rodriguez criticized the United States for resorting to extortion and coercion in an attempt to force other countries to join its comprehensive blockade against Cuba, even threatening to impose tariffs on non-compliant nations.
He asserted that such actions gravely violate the principles of free trade.
Trump on Thursday signed the executive order, which says "Beginning on the effective date of this order, an additional ad valorem rate of duty may be imposed on goods imported into the United States that are products of any other country that directly or indirectly sells or otherwise provides any oil to Cuba".
The order, effective at 12:01 ET (0501 GMT) on Friday, defines "oil" as crude oil or petroleum products. It authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to determine whether a foreign country sells or provides oil to Cuba, and to issue necessary regulations to enforce the order.
Cuba slams Trump's threats against oil sellers as "brutal act of aggression"
