Venezuela accused Donald Trump of issuing a “colonialist threat” after he declared that the airspace around the country should be considered closed, calling his remarks an extravagant, illegal and unjustified aggression.
Although the US has no legal authority to shut another nation’s airspace, Trump’s online statement could create travel uncertainty and discourage airlines from operating there. His comments come as the US increases its military presence in the Caribbean, which officials claim is aimed at combating drug smuggling, a justification Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro rejects as a pretext to remove him from power.
On Truth Social, Trump urged airlines, pilots, drug dealers and human traffickers to view all Venezuelan airspace as entirely closed. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the FAA recently warned of heightened military activity in and around Venezuela. Meanwhile, Venezuela banned six major international airlines from landing after they failed to meet a deadline to resume flights.
Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro