The airspace above and surrounding Venezuela has been declared “closed in its entirety” by Donald Trump amidst escalating fears of potential conflict.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump urged airlines, pilots, drug dealers, and human traffickers to acknowledge the closure of the airspace over and around Venezuela.
Initial reports indicate that the airspace shutdown has been effective, with minimal air traffic observed over Venezuela, including no flights over Caracas by 12.15 pm local time. Venezuela has not yet responded to this action.
Concerns are mounting that Trump may utilize the US military presence in the region, which includes thousands of troops, a nuclear submarine, and a fleet of warships accompanying the USS Gerald R Ford, to potentially launch an offensive against Venezuela with the aim of removing President Nicolas Maduro from power.
This recent announcement by Trump follows a prior warning issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to major airlines regarding a “potentially hazardous situation” when flying over Venezuela due to escalating security threats and increased military activities in the region.
Venezuela’s civil aviation authority announced that permits for Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP, Colombia’s Avianca, Chile’s and Brazil’s LATAM, Brazil’s Gol, and Turkish Airlines to operate flights into the country would be revoked. The authority cited these airlines’ involvement in what they termed as “state terrorism actions supported by the US government” as the reason for the decision.
Tensions between the US and Venezuela are on the rise, coinciding with the US military buildup off the coast of South America and a series of US military strikes targeting vessels in international waters near Venezuela and Colombia resulting in the deaths of at least 83 individuals.
The US has alleged that the targeted boats were engaged in drug trafficking. However, Latin American leaders, international legal experts, relatives of the deceased, and some US Congress members have criticized the attacks as extrajudicial killings, claiming that most of those killed were fishermen.
Accusations of drug trafficking have been leveled against Maduro by the US, while the Venezuelan president has accused the US government of fabricating a pretext for perpetual hostility against him.
Maduro has previously stated that the US is intensifying its “pretexts and deceptions” in an attempt to justify interfering in his country.