Homeland Security Warns on Security of Venezuelan Airports
September 9, 2008 by national
Filed under Stories of Interest
The Department of Homeland Security issued a warning questioning the security of Venezuelan airports, a move that won’t immediately block flights but may renew tensions about air travel between the countries.
DHS officials have been blocked from inspecting international airports in Venezuela to determine whether they comply with security standards adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization, according to the department. U.S. inspectors have been trying for the past two years to gain access to Venezuela’s main international hubs, including Simón Bolívar International Airport, outside the capital, Caracas, according to the U.S. embassy there.
The Venezuelan embassy in Washington didn’t respond to a request to comment. Christopher White, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, said beginning Tuesday, security checkpoints at U.S. airports will post warnings on travel to and from Venezuela. The warnings won’t directly block flights or advise Americans to avoid flying to Venezuela; rather, they will state that TSA cannot verify that airports in Venezuela have proper security procedures in place.
“Venezuela has refused multiple requests to allow for such assessments, which are required by U.S. law, and the agency is taking action to warn travelers of this security deficiency,” according to an advisory the TSA released Monday.
