In the wake of escalating civil unrest, Air France is temporarily halting flights to Caracas. Meanwhile, Air Europa has issued an advisory to crews on how to avoid kidnappings…
It is a historic day in Venezuela. The Maduro regime has stationed troops at the Colombian and Brazilian borders in order to block humanitarian aid from flowing in, which Maduro views as a “Trojan Horse” from the United States. Now the question is whether the Venezuelan military will remain loyal to Maduro or deflect, which could (and probably would) topple the incumbent government.
Airlines continue to find themselves caught in the middle of this escalating internal struggle. Venezuela, if it is not already there, approximates a failed state. Crime has soared and the streets of Caracas are decidedly not safe by all accounts and measures.
While many airlines have cut service, a handful remain. But as this weekend may truly mark the start of a new revolution, Air France is “temporialy” suspending service to Caracas.
Due to the situation in Venezuela, some flights have been cancelled for security reasons. Customers received an email stating Air France services to Caracas had been “temporarily cancelled”.
For now, only flights today, tomorrow, and Monday (23-25 Feb) will be canceled. The plan is resume service next week, but that will depend upon what transpires on the ground this weekend. In the interim, Air France is offering to fly passengers to Panama instead (from Panama City, COPA offers frequent service to Venezuela).
Air Europa Warns Crew
Meanwhile, Air Europa is not suspending service to Caracas, but has offered its crews some “helpful” advice on kidnapping.
Paddle Your Own Kanoo (sic) notes that crews have been given the following instructions (translated from Spanish):
- Do not leave after dark; avoid night hours
- Avoid disadvantaged areas of the capital
- Stay away from demonstrations or protests of any political sign
- Keep a low profile, avoid routines, and not divulge any information about our plans
- When traveling to the airport, stay together as a crew and keep your luggage with you
Air Europa has also advised crews what to do if they are kidnapped:
- It is important to have a person to whom the kidnappers can go
- Propose to warn staff of the interior council, in a camouflaged manner, as a friend or work partner
- Do not give information about our true economic capacity
- Leave open channels in the negotiation. Show alternatives: “I do not have that amount but I can talk with friends …”
- Each communication can help us
- Do not acquire unfeasible commitments
Wow, just wow. That is hardly comforting advice.
CONCLUSION
However it turns out, this will be a historical in Venezuela. I think (and hope) we all look forward to a day when crews need not worry about kidnapping or mugging on the streets of Caracas. I, for one, greatly look forward to visiting Venezuela in a post-Maduro era.
image: Air Europa
Not sure why you are so down on Maduro. His anti-imperialist credentials are beyond question, and, like Bernie Sanders, he supports socialized medicine, free college for everyone, and the elimination of the billionaire class. Sounds good to me.
Hyperinflation and a failed economic state sound good to you?
All the economic problems are the direct result of the American imperialists. Without US interference it would be a utopian society.
Mitch, socialism has never worked, and never will work.
The government sucks at everything except police and military- look at how inefficient the NHS has become.
Keep drinking Trump kool-aid.
Typical NAZI propaganda of creating false dichotomy.
For all you white male Republican scum please move to Yemen. You can keep your wives in the kitchen, have as many wives you want, own as many guns you want, shoot anything that moves and there are no laws there or taxes. Sounds like your heaven.
The USA will never be a white, supremacist, nazi haven that the Republicans want where whites can kill and rape anyone they like.
Reply to mitch
Debit stop being so racist, anti-Capitalist and closed minded.
Also, towards the end you began describing the Democratic party?
Proof again that leftists are the true racists. You throw out “white male Republican scum” with an air of righteousness. Am I allowed the same privilege? Can I complain about “black female Democrat scum”? No, of course not. You don’t want a colorblind society, that would take away all your power to divide people.
Your political ideology is on full display in Venezuela. Your socialist nirvana. Please go visit there soon.
You already do with your policies you idiot.
You pretend it’s just your ideology and want everyone to progress through often discredited trickle down economics but for you it’s all about disenfranchising others of their rights, keeping all the privileges to yourself but you also want cheap labor to come in. As long the brown people show up to clean your toilet and get lost soon thereafter you are happy.
The republican party is a party of white males. The republican party is full of scum. So the white Republican males are scum. Pretty logical.
If there is a recession within the next two years not only the tax cuts passed under false pretexts be rescinded but a bunch of you lying republican scum should be beaten in a public square for talking crap through your wazoo like numerous times before.
The difference now is we have stopped giving you benefit of the doubt. You are not misguided ideologues with the society’s benefit at heart, but you are selfish assholes who have no problems trampling others to get unfair disadvantages for yourself. And you will lie, cheat and pull dirty tricks to do this
I take it you think all conservative press treated Barack Obama and Michelle obama with utmost respect? Never called them names.
white Republican male scum!
@Debit
You are a sad bitter little leftist troll. Your failed life is your own fault. There was no conspiracy to make you stupid and lazy. Enjoy your crap life.
@wr2
You are a sad bitter little nazi troll. Your failed life is your own fault. There was no conspiracy to make you stupid and lazy. Enjoy your crap life.
The problem is they continue to use that propaganda. Jessie Smollett was viciously beaten by two white men shouting MAGA, in what Cory Booker aptly described as an attempted modern day lynching. And now the police and media are trying to turn the victim into the suspect. Despicable.
#IBelieveJessieSmollett
Did you forget the /s tag? Yeah, the black head of the Chicago Police and the Uber leftist media, who spent the previous week glorifying his new victimhood status, are trying to frame him. Nobody can really be so stupid as to believe that, so I’ll assume this is a joke. Good one!
“temporialy”
My god.
Good gosh everyone, relax,,this is a travel blog, not more leftest political garbage,,,we get enough of that from main stream media…..Maduro is a dictator, Venezuela is a disaster, and we do not want anyone killed or injured, but he has to GO….