The US embassy is eager to clarify that the US government request from the Venezuelan government to inspect the aircraft heading from Venezuelan airports for the United States "is not interference."

According to a spokesman of the US mission, it is a cooperation measure agreed even with Cuba and Nicaragua. Further, the official noted that they are bilateral agreements where both nations can inspect the air terminals and aircraft departing from foreign countries with their territories as destination.

Should Venezuelan authorities undertake the agreement, they could also oversee the US facilities and aircraft, he said.

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regretted last Thursday that they lacked the authorization to implement in Venezuela the inspections usually conducted of the aircraft landing in the United States from elsewhere in the world.

The Venezuelan National Civil Aviation Institute has refrained from making any comments. However, the US embassy noted that their goal is very far from politics. "There is nothing imposed," the spokesman insisted on saying. "It is a matter of security for the sake of passengers and pilots."