Panama and Venezuela to resume flights suspended for almost a year in diplomatic tensions

PANAMA CITY (AP) — Panama and Venezuela will resume commercial flights nearly a year after suspending them when they broke off diplomatic relations, Panama’s Civil Aviation Authority said Thursday.

Venezuela pulled its diplomatic representation from Panama last July after Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino refused to recognize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s reelection.

The Association of Venezuelan Airlines said that flights would resume “gradually.”

“All of the airlines that had permits can begin to operate when their itineraries allow,” Marisela De Loaiza, president of the association, said in a statement. The Venezuelan government did not immediately comment.

Earlier Thursday, Mulino said during his weekly news briefing that he had received a letter from Venezuela, but that he hadn’t immediately read it. Mulino did say, however, that it would be in Panama’s interest to resume flights, though he said he also wanted Venezuela to agree to receive Venezuelan migrants deported from Panama.

Some commercial airlines had already begun advertising flights between Panama and Venezuela on Thursday.

Panamanian carrier Copa announced flights would resume and said its team was working to confirm the itineraries. Venezolana Airlines advertised a flight beginning on Friday.

Earlier this week, Venezuela banned the arrival of flights from Colombia after it said it had arrested more than 30 people who were allegedly plotting activities to destabilize the country ahead of legislative elections Sunday.

Last July, Panama was one of the first Latin American countries to demand from Venezuelan authorities a full review of the presidential electoral results after the country’s electoral authority declared Maduro the winner.