For the first time in seven years, people from the United States can fly directly to Caracas, Venezuela without having to stop over in Panama, Colombia, or another Latin American country. It’s really quite a milestone and a symbol of just how far the Donald Trump administration has come with its management of the South American country in less than four months.
On Thursday, American Airlines Flight 3599 (Envoy E175) made its first trip from Miami to Simón Bolívar International Airport with passengers aboard. U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Undersecretary for Policy Ryan McCormack, American Airlines executives, Venezuelan Chargé d’Affaires Felix Plasencia, Miami-Dade County officials, and representatives from the U.S. Department of State all came out for a ribbon cutting to celebrate this historic moment.
🇺🇸🇻🇪 The first regular commercial service between the United States and Venezuela since 2019 is now en route.
American Eagle flight ENY3599, an Embraer E175LR in the America 250 livery operated by Envoy, departed Miami and is bound for Caracas. pic.twitter.com/q4ZEs9ltjk
— RusWar (@ruswar) April 30, 2026
Off to Venezuela ✈️
American Airlines is resuming direct flights from the U.S. to Venezuela for the first time in seven years. This wouldn’t be possible without President Trump’s brave leadership in Operation Absolute Resolve. 🇺🇸🇻🇪 https://t.co/ZLFunrgvzh pic.twitter.com/Yrw263nTYl
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 30, 2026
For nearly 7 years there have been no direct commercial flights between the U.S. and Venezuela.
Under President Trump we’re changing that today. Flights between Miami and Caracas restored. pic.twitter.com/3fsLVwWHQQ
— Department of State (@StateDept) April 30, 2026
“Today is about more than just another flight – it’s a critical milestone in strengthening the United States relationship with Venezuela and unleashing economic opportunity in both countries,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. “I am proud of our Department’s work behind the scenes to make this inaugural flight come to life, and I want to thank American Airlines for their continued commitment to servicing this essential aviation artery. Under President Trump’s historic leadership, the future of air travel between the United States and Venezuela has never been brighter. We can’t wait to expand on this progress and bring more flights online in the coming months.”
He also posted about it on X:
HISTORY IS BEING MADE TODAY⁰⁰The first commercial flight from the U.S. to Venezuela in 7 YEARS on @AmericanAir is now IN THE AIR 🛫⁰⁰Thank you to my team at @USDOT for the quick work to reopen the Venezuela airspace SAFELY and resume these flights! This means a BIG economic… https://t.co/aQkPjyfHka
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) April 30, 2026
According to the DOT, several other U.S. carriers have shown an interest in resuming flights to Venezuela as well. The agency said it will continue to review contracts and provide new opportunities in the month to come.
The move comes after President Trump directed the DOT to reopen the airspace around Venezuela in late January. It was shut down in 2019 after diplomatic relations with the country were severed.
While this is definitely a good sign of things to come, don’t pack your bathing suit just yet. We’ve come a long way in Venezuela, but we still have a long way to go. It’s not particularly safe for U.S. citizens there and probably won’t be as long as elements of the Nicolás Maduro regime are still in charge and paramilitary groups are still out on the streets.
The State Department still lists the country as a Level 3 advisory, which means “reconsider travel,” due to “risk of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, and poor health infrastructure.” It also suggests that you should not travel to some areas of the country at all. “While the situation is improving, conditions in some parts of Venezuela remain dangerous. Violent crimes such as homicide, armed robbery, and kidnapping occur,” it says.
It’s likely that passengers on these flights will be those who are currently or preparing to do business in Venezuela, as well as Venezuelan people who live in the United States and want to return home to their loved ones.
And just because I haven’t given an update in a while, there are still at least 454 political prisoners in custody as of Thursday, according to the human rights group Foro Penal. It’s better than the thousands from the past, not as good as zero. Like I said, we’ve come a long way, but there is still a long way to go.
Political Prisoners in #Venezuela as of April 27th, 2026
Report by @ForoPenalThere is a Total of 454 #PoliticalPrisoners
This information is published on a regular basis and it’s sent to @OEA_oficial and @UNHumanRights to be verified and certified#infographic pic.twitter.com/AmRWdV9nDP
— Foro Penal (ENG) (@ForoPenalENG) April 30, 2026
Editor’s Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.
Help us continue to expose their left-wing bias by reading news you can trust. Join PJ Media VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
