Panama-Venezuela Flights Resuming After Almost a Year off

Panama has started flying with Venezuela again after a break of almost a year. The goal is to ease concerns about migration and strengthen ties in the area.

President José Raúl Mulino said at a news conference on Thursday that direct flights between Panama and Venezuela have been restored. He cited national interests and growing concerns about migration as main reasons for the decision. The news came almost a year after the events were put on hold because of a political stalemate between the two countries.

Mulino’s comments come after the recent election results in Venezuela were widely criticized around the world, especially by the United States and other Western countries. This caused opposition candidate Edmundo González to leave the country.

Even though there are problems between the two countries, Mulino said that reopening flying links with Venezuela is best for Panama. But neither the president nor Panama’s aviation body gave a time frame for when flights might start up again.

Copa Holdings, Panama’s main airline, hasn’t said anything about the possibility of starting flights between the two countries again yet.

Mulino also said that there should be a two-way deal with Venezuela to make it easier for Venezuelans who have been turned away from the United States to go back home. These people often end up in Panama while they are on their way back.

Mulino said, “It’s not a huge number of people, but most of them are from Venezuela.” This shows that Panama’s movement system is under more and more pressure.

The possible return of flight shows how hard it is for Panama to keep regional cooperation on migration while also dealing with sensitive political events in Venezuela.