Maduro urges flight resumption: “The ball Is in the Dominican government’s court”

Venezuela.-  Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has declared that Venezuelan airlines are ready to resume direct flights to the Dominican Republic, placing the decision squarely in the hands of Dominican authorities. His remarks were made during his television program Con Maduro+, shortly after his controversial re-election and swearing-in for a third term.

Maduro said the initiative to reopen the air route came after Dominican singer Sergio Vargas personally requested it during a meeting in Caracas. The meeting also led to the posthumous granting of Venezuelan nationality to Dominican merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who died in a nightclub accident in Santo Domingo last April. According to Maduro, the reopening would reconnect “our sister Dominican Republic and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.”

Despite Venezuela’s announcement through its National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC) of the reactivation of commercial flights, the Dominican government has yet to authorize the move. Héctor Porcella, president of the Dominican Civil Aviation Board (JAC), confirmed that the proposal is still under evaluation and that any final decision will prioritize national interests.

Until an official announcement is made, flights between the two countries—suspended since July 2024 amid international backlash over Venezuela’s electoral process—remain on hold.