Lifting of the RPA Suspension in Venezuela: Navigating Commercial Opportunities
Legal Insight | Aviation
On 13 October 2026, the National Executive announced the lifting of the suspension on remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) operations that had been in force since August 2025. For agricultural producers, service companies and investors, the decision reopens a market that had been closed for more than a year. Its legal effects, however, depend on how the measure is formalised and on a regulatory framework that remains fully applicable.
The suspension and its lifting
The suspension was imposed by a Joint Resolution of the Ministries of Interior, Justice and Peace; Defence; Transport; and Economy and Finance, published in Official Gazette No. 6,927 Extraordinary of 18 August 2025. Its scope was unusually broad. It covered not only the operation and circulation of RPA and model aircraft, but also the purchase, sale, manufacture, import, distribution, training and registration of the aircraft and their parts and components. Only citizen security and State defence bodies were exempt. The measure was adopted for an initial term of 30 days, extendable, and remained in force for more than a year, under the supervision of the National Institute of Civil Aviation (INAC).
The lifting was announced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands in response to requests from the agricultural sector, which had sought a relaxation of the measure since early 2026. According to the Ministry, the 2025 measure has expired and will not be renewed. The stated purpose is to allow fertilisation, irrigation, crop monitoring and plant health operations.
Operators were called on to:
- register or update their registration with INAC, which is organising regional sessions to expedite the process;
- obtain their operator certification;
- maintain an insurance policy;
- complete training in the responsible use of the equipment;
- comply with SENIAT customs procedures for the import of equipment, parts and batteries.
The carriage and use of drones will be supervised by police bodies and the armed forces.
Legal effectiveness and scope
Two questions remain open.
The first is effectiveness. The suspension was adopted by an act of general effect published in the Official Gazette. If, as announced, it has lapsed by expiry of its term without renewal, no further instrument would strictly be required. If, however, it remained in force through extensions, its lifting would require an act of the same nature. Until the position is confirmed, operators should verify the legal status of the measure before resuming flights.
The second is scope. The announcement focuses on agriculture. It does not state whether the reopening extends to sale, distribution and training, or to non-agricultural aerial work. Any instrument or official guidance issued in the coming weeks will determine whether the market reopens in full or only for specific uses.
The applicable legal framework
The end of the suspension does not create a deregulated space. RPA operations remain subject to a framework that existed before August 2025 and that INAC will now enforce.
Personnel. RAV 60, published in Official Gazette No. 6,462 Extraordinary of 1 July 2019, establishes RPA pilot licences for fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, together with instructor licences. Commercial pilots must meet age, training, flight-hour and medical requirements, with medical certification governed by RAV 67. Recreational operators of the smallest class are exempt from the licence but must hold a training certificate.
Aircraft. RPA must be registered with INAC. Non-resident owners must file a customs declaration on entry into and exit from the country.
Operators. Commercial aerial work requires an RPA operator certificate, which authorises the holder to carry out specified operations.
Operations. Under the Joint Resolution published in Official Gazette No. 43,132 of 21 May 2025, non-recreational flights require prior authorisation from INAC specifying the area of operation. Recreational flights follow the general operating rules of RAV 91. Restricted, prohibited, dangerous and security zones, as well as public gatherings, are subject to special control, and flights over the Capital Region require additional prior approvals.
Insurance and enforcement. Operators must hold valid third-party liability insurance. INAC exercises sanctioning powers under the Civil Aeronautics Law, and security bodies may detain aircraft operated in breach of the applicable rules.
Navigating commercial opportunities
The market reopens with demand already in place. Before the suspension, according to the Venezuelan Agrotechnology Association (AVAT), more than 30% of large agricultural producers had begun adopting drones.
Precision agriculture. Spraying and crop monitoring at lower cost. Qualifies as aerial work, so a licensed pilot and INAC authorisation are required.
Energy and mining. Remote inspection of pipelines and facilities. Flights near critical infrastructure need prior coordination.
Surveying and infrastructure. Photogrammetry and damage assessment. Operations over populated areas require third-party liability cover and a clear allocation of liability in service contracts.
Supply chain. Import and distribution of equipment, parts and batteries reopen, subject to SENIAT customs procedures.
Foreseeable risks
Regulatory volatility. Service, lease and financing contracts should include change-in-law and suspension clauses that allocate the cost of future restrictions.
Enforcement. Flights in restricted or security zones may lead to INAC sanctions and to the detention of the aircraft by security bodies, with the resulting loss of equipment and revenue.
Liability. Damage to third parties on the surface must be covered by insurance and allocated in service contracts, particularly in agricultural spraying, where third-party crops and property are exposed.
The end of the suspension is a positive signal for the sector, and the demand is already there. The opportunity, however, belongs to operators that treat compliance as part of the business model. Those that regularise their licences, registrations, insurance and authorisations now, and structure their contracts for a volatile regulatory environment, will be the first to fly.
Diego Berrizbeitia, Associate
