United States suspends commercial passenger and cargo flights to and from Venezuela

An American Airlines plane.
(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

Citing safety concerns, the Trump administration on Wednesday announced it has suspended all commercial passenger and cargo flights between the United States and Venezuela.

The country is experiencing unrest, with violent protests and food and medicine shortages. The Department of Homeland Security said Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan found "conditions in Venezuela threaten the safety and security of passengers, aircraft, and crew, requiring an immediate suspension." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo approved halting flights, and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao implemented the order. Delta already paused service to Venezuela in 2017, and American Airlines suspended flights from Miami to Caracas in March.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.