Lisbon, Nov. 27, 2025 (Lusa) - The president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, said on Thursday that he hoped the revocation of the operating licence of TAP, among other airlines, announced by the Venezuelan authorities, would not be definitive.

Speaking to journalists at the Champalimaud Foundation in Lisbon, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed concern and considered that restraint should be exercised regarding the situation in Venezuela, "because this is a governmental and diplomatic matter".

"The same concern exists, thinking about the Portuguese community, regarding the announcement that was made, but I hope that it is not a final decision by the Venezuelan authorities," he said.

According to the head of state, the Venezuelan authorities "know how important the Portuguese community is" to Portugal and to bilateral relations "and they know how closely the Portuguese community is linked to a Portuguese airline", TAP.

"Therefore, you don't have to be a great observer to realise how all this must be approached with great care, with kid gloves, and our diplomacy is very good at that, and I trust the way the Government is handling it," he added.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa noted that there is "a very strong Portuguese community in Venezuela" and reaffirmed that he is concerned about "everything that has been reported" about the situation in the country and the escalating tension with the United States of America.

"All of this falls or may fall on the Portuguese community at some point, in one way or another," he stressed.

TAP said today that the lack of safety conditions, imposed by its internal standards and the regulator, prevents it from flying to Venezuela at the moment, but assured that it wants to continue serving the Portuguese community in that country.

The Venezuelan authorities carried out their threat and revoked the operating licences of several international airlines, including TAP, which they accused of "joining the acts of terrorism" promoted by the United States of America.

The decision affects Iberia, TAP, Avianca, Latam Colombia, Turkish Airlines and Gol.

These airlines had cancelled flights to and from Caracas after the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommended "extreme caution" when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean last Friday due to what it described as "a potentially dangerous situation in the region".

IEL/ADB // ADB.

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