The Panamanian Government is set to ban all Venezuelan carriers from serving the Central American state in retaliation for similar ban effected by Nicolas Maduro's government against Copa Airlines (CM, Panamá City Tocumen International) last week.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, April 10, the Panamanian presidency said a Cabinet meeting had resolved to suspend, for a period of ninety (90) days beginning April 25 and extendable thereafter, operations by the following Venezuelan cargo and passenger carriers: Aeropostal - Alas de Venezuela, Avior Airlines, Conviasa, Laser Airlines, Venezolana, SBA Airlines, and Turpial Airlines.

In March, Panama included Venezuela in a list of countries that apply discriminatory or restrictive measures that impinge on its international economic and commercial interests.

Last week, it published a list of 55 members of the Venezuelan leadership, including President Nicolas Maduro, all of whom were deemed at risk of money laundering. Venezuela then retaliated by banning 46 Panamanian firms, including Copa Airlines, and 22 citizens, including President Juan Carlos Varela Rodríguez, for what it said was their "recurrent use of the Panamanian financial system by Venezuelan nationals to move money and assets derived from crime against the nation's wealth."

DHL Express cargo carrier ventures DHL Aero Expreso (D5, Panamá City Tocumen International) and Vensecar Internacional (V4, Caracas Simón Bolivar) are the only carriers not affected by the respective bans by each government.