If you wanted to fly into Caracas — Venezuela’s capital — a year ago, you couldn’t get there from the United States. You typically had to take a flight to another Latin American country, like Panama or Colombia, and switch to one of their airlines. That’s because in March 2019, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) suspended all direct commercial flights to the country. In May of that year, cargo flights stopped.
That’s changing.
During Thursday’s cabinet meeting, Donald Trump announced that he’d just spoken to his and Marco Rubio’s pawn, Delcy Rodríguez, the current “acting president” of Venezuela, and he said that he’s informed her that we’re going to open up commercial airspace there.
“American citizens will be, very shortly, able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there,” he said. “It’s under very strong control, and the people, formerly of Venezuela, some want to go back, some want to go back to visit, and they’re going to be able to do that. So, I’ve instructed [Secretary of Transportation] Sean Duffy and everybody else concerned, including the military, that by the end of today, I’d like to have the airspace over Venezuela — planes can go to Venezuela — opened up.”
🚨 BREAKING: @POTUS announces that he has instructed his Administration to open up all commercial airspace over Venezuela.
“American citizens will be, very shortly, able to go to Venezuela — and they’ll be safe there.” pic.twitter.com/6EO5jFDIV5
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 29, 2026
First up, don’t try to go to Venezuela. The president said “very shortly,” but it’s still not safe. The State Department still has a Level 4 Travel Advisory in place, which means “do not travel…due to the high risk of wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure. All U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents in Venezuela are strongly advised to depart immediately.”
That sentiment was reiterated on January 10 when a warning was issued to get out and stay out as paramilitary groups were harassing and detaining anyone that had anything to do with the United States in the wake of Nicolás Maduro’s capture and arrest.
Now that that’s out of the way, this is actually huge news for a few reasons. First, it’s further proof of what I’ve been saying: Pay attention to actions, not words. Ms. Delcy can shout “imperialism” from the rooftops of Miraflores Palace all she wants — and the U.S. media can paint it as Trump and Rubio having no control all they want — but the president and Secretary of State have a tight grip or this would not be happening.
Plus, it’s a subtle signal to our adversaries — like China, Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN), etc. — that Venezuela will no longer be their own little private Western Hemisphere playground any longer.
It also shows speed and potential progress. Trump doesn’t do foreign policy passively. He likes to see immediate impact, so that’s to be expected. But I feel like this should be noted for all the “I don’t want to be in there forever” folks. What was just a theoretical “someday” a few months ago is now a “get ready, this is happening” today. That’s good progress.
And it’s really part of the beginning of the groundwork for what can be an extremely prosperous future for both of our nations. Back in September or October, I made a list of reasons why U.S. intervention in Venezuela would benefit our country, and a lot of that had to do with trade and investment by U.S. business investments. Opposition leader María Corina Machado has said countless times, especially in recent weeks, that a free Venezuela will become the energy hub for the Americas, a major economic partner for the U.S., and a place that many of the nearly 9 million Venezuelan people who have fled the country will want to return home to and be a part of a strong economy.
Related: 10 Reasons the U.S. Can’t Afford to Ignore Venezuela Anymore
I won’t bog you down will all of those details tonight, but allowing flights back in sets the stage and opens the door for that to begin in the not too distant future.
American Airlines called dibs on Thursday morning:
American Airlines is proud to be the first airline to announce plans to reinstate nonstop service between the United States and Venezuela. The airline remains in close contact with federal authorities, and is ready to commence flights to Venezuela, pending government approval and security assessments.
American started operating in Venezuela in 1987, and before suspending service in 2019, served as the largest U.S. airline in the country. American connects more destinations nonstop to the U.S. than any other airline across the Caribbean and Latin America. Over the years, this has meant the airline has provided crucial nonstop links that have enabled business, friends and family, leisure and humanitarian travel.
American will share additional details about its return to service in the coming months as it works closely with federal authorities on all necessary permissions and security assessments prior to resuming service.
As I said, don’t pack your bathing suits for a sunny week on Venezuelan beach just yet, but everything I’ve seen from Trump, Rubio, Machado, and anyone else involved this week tells me that one day, that option will be on the table. I can’t wait.
Far too much of the MSM coverage of Venezuela is designed to make Trump look bad. At PJ Media, we’ll tell you the truth about what’s going on there and the rest of the world. We can only do it with your help.
In 2026, it’s more crucial than ever to support conservative media. We’re up against a tough battle this election year, and every voice counts. You can add yours by becoming a PJ Media VIP member. The price is less than $20 for an entire year, and you get some fun perks too. We’ll see you in the comments section!
