MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay postpones second aid flight to Venezuela over changed entry conditions

Uruguayan authorities stressed that this is a postponement, not a cancellation of the mission

Uruguay has postponed the second shipment of humanitarian aid to Venezuela, scheduled for Tuesday, after a change in the conditions set by Venezuelan authorities for the entry of cargo, Defense Minister Sandra Lazo said. The Air Force's KC-130H Hercules remains loaded with some 15 tons of supplies intended for victims of the June 24 twin earthquakes.

“The Hercules is ready, there's no problem with it, but the rules of the game have changed and we need to sit down and talk,” Lazo told reporters. The minister said the change relates to costs applied to aircraft arriving at the airport with certain supplies, though she did not specify amounts or the relevant regulations. The Uruguayan Air Force, which had invited the press to cover the departure, later said the flight was being postponed for reasons beyond the institution's control and that a new date would be announced.

Uruguayan authorities stressed that this is a postponement, not a cancellation of the mission. The Foreign Ministry, which is leading talks with Caracas, and the Defense Ministry, responsible for logistics, are continuing to work to carry out the shipment once the new conditions are defined. Lazo said she would meet with Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin to assess next steps.

The minister urged caution and said the priority is to ensure the aid actually reaches its destination. “These are all very delicate matters that we have to handle with the necessary seriousness, and not rush into things,” she said. She added that donations “have to be organized” under criteria of transparency, and noted that the operation is being carried out in a territory hit by a large-scale disaster. Venezuelan authorities had not commented publicly on the matter.

The suspended cargo includes medicines, non-perishable food, hygiene items, blankets and other essential supplies, collected through donations from state bodies, civil society and Venezuelans living in Uruguay. The first shipment left on July 4, also carrying about 15 tons, and delivered medical supplies, sterilizing material, hygiene products, powdered milk and food supplements. The Defense Ministry noted that, in addition to the Hercules, the logistics vessel ROU 04, with a capacity of 250 tons, remains available.

The quakes, of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, have left at least 4,561 dead according to the latest official Venezuelan toll, with more than 17,900 people homeless, in the deadliest natural disaster recorded in that country in more than a century.