Miguel Albuquerque, president of the Regional Government, assured today that the Madeiran community residing in Venezuela “is calm” and is not facing any problems arising from the current geopolitical tension between Caracas and Washington.
Albuquerque reacted to the ban imposed by several airlines — including TAP — on flights to Venezuela.
“At the moment, that area of the Caribbean is a no-fly zone. This exclusion was determined, I believe, by the United States government, given the highly tense situation that is being experienced, especially between Venezuela and the United States,” he explained.
According to the Madeiran leader, the airlines are complying with these regulations “for reasons of safety and operational efficiency.”
Despite the uncertainty surrounding how the situation will evolve, Albuquerque stressed the need to closely monitor the scenario. “The tension is very high, and we must take into account that we need to pay close attention, especially to a country like Venezuela where we have a very significant community,” he emphasized.
The President of the Regional Government further stated that the Regional Director for Communities, Sancho Gomes, “is in constant contact” regarding the matter, revealing that the head of his office was also recently in Venezuela.
“Our community is calm; there are no problems from a political point of view. There is no political involvement from our community in this situation. The issue is fundamentally a political one and one of geopolitical tension, and we have to wait and see how events unfold,” he concluded.