VENEZUELA: Venezuela says U.S. bans Maduro from flying over Puerto Rico

Record ID: 861187

  • Title: VENEZUELA: Venezuela says U.S. bans Maduro from flying over Puerto Rico
  • Date: 20th September 2013
  • Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PLANES AT MAIQUETA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
  • Embargoed: 5th October 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
  • City:
  • Country: Venezuela
  • Topics: Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVA6CA1E0S0SYIT1MDMB14TVY9VU
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Venezuela said on Thursday (September 19) the United States had banned President Nicolas Maduro's jet from flying through U.S. airspace over Puerto Rico en route to a state visit to China.
    Maduro is due in Beijing this weekend for bilateral talks. China has become a major lender to his government, and Chinese firms are heavily involved in the OPEC nation's oil industry.
    But Foreign Minister Elias Jaua said a flight plan filed by Venezuela that would have routed Maduro's plane over Puerto Rico had been rejected by U.S. authorities.
    "On the eve of our departure for the People's Republic of China, we received information from the U.S. authorities that they have denied us the overflight through U.S. airspace in the Atlantic. We denounce it as an aggression, yet more U.S. aggression against the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela. No one can deny overflight to a plane that carries the president of the republic in an international state visit," Jaua told reporters. "
    Jaua said Washington had no right to deny airspace to any presidential plane, but that the move would not stop Maduro from visiting China.
    "We're leaving today. We're going to the People's Republic of China through some route or another, we will get there. There is no empire that can detain the will of the Bolivarian government," he said.
    Maduro has often clashed with Washington since winning an election in April that was triggered by the death from cancer of his mentor, the late socialist leader Hugo Chavez.
    In July, Venezuela said it was ending efforts to improve ties with Washington after the Obama administration's nominee for envoy to the United Nations vowed to oppose what she called a crackdown on civil society in the "repressive" country.
    The latest diplomatic spat is reminiscent of this year's incident when Bolivia said France, Spain, Italy and Portugal denied their airspace to President Evo Morales' jet, apparently on suspicion the aircraft might have been carrying fugitive U.S. intelligence agency contractor Edward Snowden out of Russia.
    Days after that, Venezuela's Maduro became the world's first leader to offer asylum to Snowden, who is wanted by Washington for disclosing details of secret surveillance programs.
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