Aircraft cleared to land, 96 Venezuelans ready to go home

The 96 Venezuelans who registered to return to their country on a repatriation flight are at Piarco airport waiting for the plane to transport them.

The flight that was suspended yesterday owing to US sanctions against the Venezuelan state airline Conviasa is now scheduled for this afternoon on a plane from the same company.

Sources indicated that the landing permits are ready. The flight from Piarco to Caracas is scheduled for 6 pm.

Twenty people, including a pregnant woman and three children registered for the trip, slept at the airport last night while waiting for the flight to be rescheduled.

Staff from the Venezuelan embassy brought them empanadas for dinner on Thursday night.

"We slept in the chairs in the counters area and the airport security guards were attentive to us," said Carlos Benitez, one of the travellers.