Venezuela’s main airport partially resumes commercial flights after deadly earthquakes

CARACAS (AP) — Venezuela's main airport partially resumed commercial operations on Tuesday, nearly 10 weeks after two devastating earthquakes struck the South American country.

A temporary area with metal structures was erected in the parking lot of the Simón Bolívar International Airport, located in the Maiquetía area of ​​La Guaira state, to serve passengers while repairs continue.

The airport, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Caracas, was closed after severe damage to its runways, control tower and passenger and cargo boarding and disembarking buildings during the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes of June 24, which left more than 6,500 dead and some 17,900 people homeless.

The structure, approximately 10,000 square meters (108,000 square feet) in size, has the capacity to handle 2,168 passengers per day, according to the airport, and includes check-in counters, air-conditioned waiting areas, free Wi-Fi, medical services and restrooms, among other amenities. Passengers will be transported by bus between the terminal and their aircraft.

“We hope that with this initial phase of operations ... we will recover 25% of the operations we had before the earthquake,” Transportation Minister Francisco Garcés told the press Tuesday.

He added that “we will gradually create the conditions to increase these capacities,” reaching 40% in a few months and 60% by the end of the year or beginning of next year.

Garcés said that the resumption of operations has been certified by international organizations that carried out the corresponding inspection.

Most of the deaths occurred in La Guaira, Venezuela’s second smallest state, which is home to Simón Bolívar International Airport and the country’s second largest port. Its population of 440,000 is mostly made up of poor residents who rely on tourism, commerce and activities related to the airport and port.

The resumption of commercial operations will initially include seven domestic and four international round-trip flights operated by Copa Airlines of Panama and Air Europa of Spain. Other airlines, including Spain’s Iberia, will be added in the coming days.

Until Monday, all international flights arrived at small airports in the central state of Carabobo and the eastern state of Anzoategui, approximately 168 and 314 kilometers (104 and 195 miles) from Caracas, respectively.

The earthquakes were the strongest recorded in Venezuela in over a century and occurred 39 seconds apart along the coastal mountain range, where the country’s largest population centers are located.

The tremors caused severe damage in Caracas and the central-western states of Carabobo, Miranda, Aragua and Yaracuy.

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Passengers arrive for check in at Simon Bolivar International Airport as it reopens to commercial flights two months after closing due to the earthquake in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

Passengers wait to check in at Simon Bolivar International Airport as it reopens to commercial flights two months after closing due to the earthquake in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

Passengers check in at Simon Bolivar International Airport as it reopens to commercial flights two months after closing due to the earthquake in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

Departing passengers stand at security inside Simon Bolivar International Airport as it reopens to commercial flights two months after closing due to the earthquake in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

Passengers check in at Simon Bolivar International Airport as it reopens to commercial flights two months after closing due to the earthquake in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told the Trump administration Tuesday to “stop doing memes, stop throwing shade and stop trying to be tough,” as he pushed back against a fresh wave of attacks from Washington.

Carney said U.S.-Canada trade talks could resume if Washington became serious about negotiations, but he also accused the United States of pursuing terms that he said could leave Canadian industries “gradually wound down in Canada and wiped out.”

“When the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade and stop trying to be tough, and start being serious about having those discussions, we can have those discussions,” Carney said. “It’s not constructive, but that’s their democracy.”

His comments came during a fresh barrage from Washington since trade talks collapsed Aug. 21. Trump has moved to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America” and taunted Canada on social media, while U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Canada could not go “tit for tat” with an economy 13 times larger.

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also mocked the Canadian military online, posting an image Monday of two female cadets at a British Columbia training center with the words “this is real” and a Canadian flag. Carney called the post “beneath their office.” The Pentagon stood by it Tuesday, saying, “The X post speaks for itself.”

Carney said the U.S. approach in the talks would have left Canadian industries effectively as subsidiaries of American companies or imposed terms under which they would be “gradually wound down in Canada and wiped out.”

“We’re not going to — of course, we’re not going to accept those terms,” Carney said.

The prime minister said Washington sought an “uncompetitive” deal for key industries, including autos, while pushing changes affecting French-language and cultural protections. He said any of those issues was enough to block an agreement.

Carney said Washington also sought limits on Canada’s future trade deals. “Canada is a sovereign state. We will strike free trade deals with the countries we wish to strike free trade deals,” he said.

He said there had been “mutually beneficial” elements of a deal before the talks broke down.

Carney was also buoyed by Monday's Liberal sweep of three special elections, including a decisive win in Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, Quebec, where the Conservatives fell to third place.

The victories brought the Liberals to 173 seats in the 343-seat House of Commons and reinforced Carney’s position as he confronts Trump over trade and Canadian sovereignty.

Nelson Wiseman, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Toronto, said Trump’s annexation threats carry particular weight in Quebec. “Quebecers have the most to lose in an apocalyptic scenario where the U.S. absorbs Canada, and the status of the French language disappears,” he said.

U.S.-Canada trade talks collapsed after the two sides failed to reach a deal, and Trump imposed 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion in Canadian goods. Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on nearly $20 billion in U.S. goods are scheduled to take effect Sept. 8, with duties ranging from 15% to 50%.

Trump has repeatedly talked about making Canada the 51st U.S. state.

Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to journalists as he arrives at the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council in Ottawa, Canada, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to journalists as he arrives at the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council in Ottawa, Canada, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks with members of the media as he arrives at the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council in Ottawa, on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks with members of the media as he arrives at the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council in Ottawa, on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks with members of the media as he arrives at the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council in Ottawa, on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)