Venezuela allows U.S. aircraft over Caracas for drill

Venezuela said on Thursday it had allowed the United States to fly over Caracas as part of an embassy evacuation drill, a symbolic step five months after the U.S. attack on the capital that led to the arrest of Nicolas Maduro.

Foreign Minister Ivan Gil said: "Based on a request from the U.S. embassy, Venezuelan authorities allowed an evacuation drill to be held, tomorrow Saturday, in preparation for possible medical emergencies or catastrophic events". He added in a statement on state television: "As part of the drill, two aircraft will fly over the city of Caracas and land at the U.S. embassy facilities".

Two aircraft over Caracas

The flight of the two aircraft will symbolize the shift in U.S.-Venezuelan relations since the ouster of socialist President Nicolas Maduro on 3 January by a U.S. attack on Caracas. The United States usually uses helicopters in evacuation operations, according to Agence France-Presse.

The removal of Maduro began with air strikes in the early dawn hours on Venezuelan air defenses and reached its peak with his arrest in a military compound in Caracas. The leftist leader was then flown to the United States after his arrest, where he was jailed pending trial on drug-related charges and other charges.

Relations after Maduro's arrest

That paved the way for improved relations between Washington and Caracas. The source headline also referred to Castro on the road to Maduro and to Trump between a "purge" of the Caribbean and a Florida deadline.