Actor Leonardo DiCaprio accepted the Desert Palm Achievement Award remotely on Saturday due to travel restrictions resulting from U.S. strikes on Venezuela.
DiCaprio was set to accept the award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival for his role in “One Battle After Another.” He accepted it remotely after being unable to leave St. Barts, where he spent the New Year, according to Variety.
The U.S. military carried out a “large-scale strike” in Venezuela early Saturday morning and took Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and his wife into custody, President Donald Trump confirmed.
“Leonardo DiCaprio is unable to join us in person tonight due to unexpected travel disruptions and restricted airspace,” a spokesperson for the Palm Springs International Film Festival told Variety. “While we will miss celebrating with him in person, we are honored to recognize his exceptional work and lasting contributions to cinema. His talent and dedication to the craft continue to inspire, and we are delighted to celebrate him with the Desert Palm Achievement Award this evening.”
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The Palm Springs International Film Festival did not immediately return a request for comment. Variety posted a video of DiCaprio accepting the award on X.
“Movies are still meant to be experienced together in a theater. Right now, that belief matters more than ever,” DiCaprio said. “Original films are harder to make and harder to protect, but movies still matter. Not the content, but cinema, stories made by people meant to be shared in a dark room in a communal experience.”
Palm Springs International Airport announced on X on Saturday that departing flights were at a ground stop.
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“PSP TRAVEL ALERT: FAA air traffic control issue impacting SoCal airspace today. Departing flights are under a ground stop. Aircraft have been able to arrive, though some inbound flights have diverted and delays are expected. Check with your airline for the latest flight status,” the statement read.
Maduro and his wife arrived in Brooklyn on Sunday and will face narcoterrorism and weapons charges in the Southern District of New York.
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Trump said on Saturday that until a permanent leader can be found, the U.S. government will “run” Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.”
The president said the U.S. government can’t risk someone else taking over the country.
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