The Daily Journal.— Venezuela’s Ministry of Transportation recently announced the resumption of commercial operations by Consolidada de Ferrys (Conferry) on its traditional route between Puerto La Cruz, Anzoátegui State, and Margarita Island, Nueva Esparta State. The company plans to restart services on Friday, June 26, 2026.
In a press release, the ministry explained that ticket sales will begin on Thursday, June 11, through physical ticket offices in Caracas, Anzoátegui, and Nueva Esparta. Institutional digital platforms will also support the sales process ahead of the official relaunch.
Transportation Minister Jacqueline Faría confirmed the announcement through her official X account.
“On June 26, our company Conferry will resume operations on the Puerto La Cruz–Margarita route after completing sea trials of the ferry Paraguaná I. We continue working to connect destinations and contribute to a Venezuela on the move,” the minister wrote.
An Expropriation That Ended in a Floating Graveyard
The state-owned ferry operator, which had remained inactive for the past three years, came under government control through an expropriation in 2011. Former President Hugo Chávez justified the takeover of the country’s largest maritime transportation company by citing complaints about schedule delays and ticket overselling.
Despite promises of transformation under the banner of “The New Conferry,” public management generated multimillion-dollar losses over time. Between 2013 and 2014, authorities purchased three secondhand ferries from Spain for €50 million under the administration of former minister Hebert García Plaza, who later faced accusations of embezzlement. Severe mechanical problems and technical incompatibilities ultimately left the vessels abandoned.By the end of the previous decade, the docks of Anzoátegui and Nueva Esparta had turned into graveyards of rusting metal. The decline became especially visible on August 7, 2018, when the high-speed vessel Tallink AutoExpress 2 partially sank at the Guanta dock due to a lack of maintenance. Authorities later dismantled flagship vessels such as the María Rosario and the Carmen Ernestina, accelerating the company’s deterioration.
