FILE PHOTO: Panama's president-elect Jose Raul Mulino speaks during an interview with Reuters, in Panama City, Panama, May 8, 2024. REUTERS/Aris Martinez/File Photo
(Reuters) -Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said on Friday that a plane with former presidents en route to Venezuela has not been allowed to take off, due to a blockade of the Venezuela's airspace.
Last week, Venezuela issued a decree closing border movements by land, air and sea from midnight on Friday, claiming it as an attempt to maintain security and protect the presidential election that will take place on Sunday..
Among the passengers on the plane were former Panamanian president Mireya Moscoso and other ex-presidents, and "the aircraft was denied permission to take off from Tocumen as long as they remain on board," Mulino said on a post on X.
He also mentioned that another flight from Panama's Copa Airlines, that was heading to Panama from Caracas, has also not been allowed to take off.
Venezuela's Ministry of Information and Copa Airlines did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
Earlier in the week, former Argentine President Alberto Fernandez and Brazil's electoral court both withdrew from acting as observers in Venezuela's presidential election, fueling concerns about the fairness and transparency of the vote.
(Reporting by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; Additional reporting by Vivian Sequera and Elida Moreno; Editing by Sarah Morland)
