First US-Venezuela Direct Commercial Flight Resumes; BP to Open Venezuela Office

The first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela departed a bit early Thursday on its way to Caracas, the capital of the South American country. The resumption of a non-stop commercial flight between the two countries comes months after the U.S. capture of then-president Nicolás Maduro in a stunning nighttime raid on his residence in Caracas in early January. It happened seven years after the U.S. Homeland Security Department ordered an indefinite suspension, citing security concerns. Meanwhile, Venezuela signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday with British energy giant BP to explore offshore natural gas and open an office in the country. Officials said the deal was part of efforts to expand international energy partnerships and attract foreign investment. The return of British petroleum is a clear sign of the future we wish to shape for Venezuela and international energy relations — relations based on respect, cooperation founded on a win-win mutual benefit and shared gains, and benefits for the development of the Venezuelan people, Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said. The agreement comes as Venezuela seeks to revive its oil and gas industry after years of decline under a new framework that allows greater participation by foreign companies.