Donald Trump has announced the complete closure of the airspace over and around Venezuela as concerns about potential armed conflict escalate. In a post on Truth Social, Trump directed airlines, pilots, drug traffickers, and human traffickers to acknowledge the airspace restrictions. The impact of the airspace closure was evident early on, with minimal air traffic observed over Venezuela, especially no flights over Caracas by 12:15 pm local time. Venezuela has not yet responded to this development.
There are mounting fears that Trump may utilize the US military presence in the region, including thousands of troops, a nuclear submarine, and a fleet of warships accompanying the USS Gerald R Ford, to initiate an attack on Venezuela with the aim of removing President Nicolas Maduro from power. This latest announcement follows a previous alert issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to major airlines cautioning them about the risks of flying over Venezuela due to heightened military activity and deteriorating security conditions in the area.
Venezuela’s civil aviation authority recently announced the revocation of flight permits for several international airlines, including Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP, Colombia’s Avianca, Chile’s and Brazil’s LATAM, Brazil’s Gol, and Turkish Airlines. The authority cited these airlines’ alleged involvement in actions deemed as state terrorism instigated by the US government.
Tensions between the US and Venezuela have escalated amid the US military buildup near South America and a series of military strikes by the US targeting vessels in international waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in the deaths of at least 83 individuals. The US claims that the targeted boats were carrying illegal drugs. However, critics, including Latin American leaders, legal experts, and some US lawmakers, have denounced these actions as extrajudicial killings, contending that most of the casualties were innocent fishermen.
Accusations of drug trafficking have been exchanged between the US and Maduro, with the Venezuelan president accusing the US government of fabricating a continuous war against him. Maduro has accused the US of escalating falsehoods and pretexts to rationalize potential intervention in Venezuela.