Mexico City (dpa) - Venezuela on Monday suspended TAP Air Portugal flights in and out of the country for a period of 90 days, accusing the airline of allowing opposition leader Juan Guaido's uncle to bring explosives into the country last week.

Vice President Delcy Rodriguez announced the move on Twitter, saying that other punitive measures and fines could still be imposed on the airline in the future.

"Venezuela must be respected!" said Rodriguez, who is considered one of the most powerful people in the administration of President Nicolas Maduro.

Last week, a Venezuelan court ordered the detention of Juan Jose Marques, was held upon returning from an international tour in support of his nephew's campaign to oust Maduro.

Juan Jose Marques was first held on Tuesday after arriving at the country's main airport as part of a Guaido's delegation to the United States and Europe, during which the self-declared interim president notably received backing from US President Donald Trump.

Maduro's government says Marques was hiding explosives inside a vest when he arrived at the airport, a charge that Guaido's team says is a politically-motivated attempt to put pressure on him.

Maduro, who won a second term in a controversial election in 2018, has presided over an economic meltdown that has caused a mass exodus from Venezuela and has prompted mass demonstrations against his rule.

Guaido's January 2019 self-declaration as interim president was met with international support, but his efforts to oust Maduro have struggled since key figures in the country's powerful military reconfirmed their allegiance to him.

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