President Trump announced on January 29, 2026, that he has instructed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the U.S. military to reopen all commercial airspace over Venezuela, less than a month after American special forces captured President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas. The Federal Aviation Administration had closed the airspace to U.S. aircraft on January 3 amid the military operation that removed Maduro from power.
The decision, framed by the White House as enabling "safe travel for American citizens" and allowing Venezuelan expatriates to return under U.S. oversight, marks the next phase of Washington's active management of Venezuela's post-intervention reality. The announcement came after what Trump described as a "talk" with acting president Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's former vice president, underscoring the administration's direct role in shaping the country's transition.
Latest developments in U.S.-Venezuela relations
The airspace reopening represents the first major logistical decision affecting Venezuela since the January 3 operation that fundamentally altered the country's political structure. Trump's statement emphasized the humanitarian dimension—facilitating family reunifications and enabling tourism—but the timing and context reveal a more complex calculation about establishing operational normalcy in a country now functioning under explicit U.S. supervision.
The FAA prohibition, imposed during active military operations, had effectively isolated Venezuela from commercial aviation networks. By lifting the restriction through direct coordination with Rodríguez's government, the Trump administration is simultaneously testing and demonstrating the new power relationship. The "talk" Trump referenced was not a negotiation between equals but a notification of Washington's decision to resume controlled access to Venezuelan territory.
The move also has immediate economic implications for Trump's stated agenda in Venezuela. The president has publicly outlined plans for U.S. companies to seize and monetize Venezuelan oil assets, a project that requires not just diplomatic access but practical infrastructure for moving personnel, equipment, and potentially extracted resources. Reopening airspace facilitates this business activity while maintaining the appearance of humanitarian concern.
Members are reading: How the airspace decision reveals the subordinate status of Venezuela's new government under U.S. supervision.
The reopening of Venezuelan airspace, while presented as a humanitarian measure, functionally represents Washington's assertion of operational control over a post-intervention state. By coordinating directly with Rodríguez while simultaneously announcing plans for U.S. corporate exploitation of oil resources, the Trump administration is establishing a template for managed sovereignty that prioritizes American strategic interests over Venezuelan self-determination. The next weeks will reveal whether this model proves sustainable or whether internal resistance to foreign supervision begins to manifest.
Subscribe to our free newsletter to unlock direct links to all sources used in this article.
We believe you deserve to verify everything we write. That's why we meticulously document every source.
