Air Canada, our international embarrassment

Yesterday, I took CBC to task for bullshitting us about Venezuela. Today, it’s our so-called national airline’s turn:

The minister for aquatic and air transportation, Hebert García Plaza, informed that Venezuela has ended commercial relations with Air Canada after the airline decided, unilaterally, to suspend flights to Caracas.

García Plaza indicated that Air Canada, beyond suspending flights, planned a rupture in commercial relations.

For that reason, the administrative procedure to end relations begins immediately, said García Plaza, in a statement to the media from Fort Tiuna, Caracas, where he met with representatives from 21 international airlines.

“We will begin the necessary procedures via the Foreign Ministry. We will terminate relations with Air Canada until the President (Nicolás Maduro) decides otherwise,” said the minister.

Air Canada evaded international norms and did not inform the National Civil Aeronautics Institute (INAC) of its decision to suspend flights, denounced the minister.

“It was a sudden blow. They took a unilateral decision,” said García Plaza, referring to the suspension by the Canadian company.

Canada, allied with the United States, recently advocated for an intervention in Venezuela in the extraordinary session of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) on March 7.

“We won’t converse with them when they won’t converse with us,” García Plaza said.

The transport minister lamented Air Canada’s decision because it principally affects Canadian tourists who come to Venezuela to enjoy its natural beauty.

“We lament that they have taken a unilateral decision, because no matter what, Canadians will continue to come to Venezuela. That I assure you,” García emphasized.

He added that “geographically, Venezuela will continue to be the north-Caribbean face of the continent, and we will continue to be a country friendly to the world, with a way of being that motivates receptive tourism.”

García recalled that Air Canada flies to other countries “with a much graver security situation than our country has.”

Upon review of the airline’s press releases, it was revealed that Air Canada did not suspend service to Ukraine, which is embroiled in a grave situation of violence, territorial breakaway, and possible military conflict.

Air Canada offices remain open in Ukraine, a country in which it operates by way of alliances with airlines such as Lufthansa, LOT and others.

Recently, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro vowed to take strict measures against airlines that reduce the frequency of their flights to Venezuela.

“Any airline that leaves Venezuela, will not return as long as we are the government. They will have to oust us,” Maduro warned.

Translation mine.

So, thanks a lot, Air Canada, for joining the Harper Government™ and all our god-awful mining companies in embarrassing us horribly on the international stage. It’s thanks to corporatist clowns like you that Canadians can no longer hold their heads up in Latin America, and are being forced to apologize for what is not our personal fault. You’re still flying to Ukraine following a fascist coup in Kiev, and in the midst of some blindingly obvious political instability that might just turn into a shooting war over Crimea…but you let a few fascist punks in Venezuela convince you that it’s no longer safe to fly to Caracas? I call bullshit.

And I urge every Canadian who is sincerely opposed to fascism (which, in the end, is just capitalism minus gloves) to boycott any airline which will fly to Kiev…but not Caracas. I will be doing so until Air Canada demonstrates good faith, good sense, or both, and reverses this ridiculous situation.

PS: And if anyone else feels inclined to troll or criticize me for this, have a little light reading. Seems that our government is also in on this shitty piece of international relations. Air Canada is NOT acting alone.