Trump moves to reopen Venezuelan airspace as US seeks reset with acting government

President Donald Trump announced that the commercial airspace over Venezuela would reopen after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released an emergency notice earlier in January to block civil flight operations of U.S. aircraft in Venezuela airspace. 

The notice came as the U.S. conducted strikes in Venezuela and captured dictator Nicolás Maduro. 

The Trump administration has said that the U.S. would run Venezuela until a peaceful transition could occur and is currently working to restore diplomatic relations with Caracas, Venezuela. 

"I just spoke to the president of Venezuela and informed her that we're going to be opening up all commercial airspace over Venezuela," Trump said Thursday during a Cabinet meeting. "American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they'll be safe there and be safe. It's under very strong control." 

Trump said that he’s instructed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the U.S. military to open the airspace over Venezuela by the end of Thursday. 

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Meanwhile, the U.S. is attempting to revitalize diplomatic relations with Venezuela following Maduro’s ouster. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers Wednesday that the U.S. is planning to re-open its embassy in Venezuela. 

"We have a team on the ground there assessing it, and we think very quickly we'll be able to open a U.S. diplomatic presence on the ground," Rubio told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday.

The U.S. Embassy in Venezuela, as well as flights between the U.S. and Venezuela, have been shuttered since 2019.

Following the raid to seize Maduro, hundreds of U.S. flights to the Caribbean were canceled, including flights between the U.S. and Puerto Rico and Aruba.

Following Trump's announcement, American Airlines announced that it would resurrect direct flights between the U.S. and Venezuela. 

"We have a more than 30-year history connecting Venezolanos to the U.S., and we are ready to renew that incredible relationship," Nat Pieper, American’s chief commercial officer, said in a statement. "By restarting service to Venezuela, American will offer customers the opportunity to reunite with families and create new business and commerce with the United States."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.