Donald Trump has announced the complete closure of the airspace over and around Venezuela amidst escalating concerns of potential conflict. In a post on Truth Social, Trump issued a directive to airlines, pilots, drug traffickers, and human traffickers, stating that the airspace in question should be considered off-limits.
Reports indicate that the closure has been effective, as there has been minimal air traffic above Venezuela, with no flights observed over Caracas as of 12:15 pm local time. Venezuela has not yet responded to this action.
Speculations are mounting that Trump may utilize the US military presence in the region, including troops, a nuclear submarine, and warships accompanying the USS Gerald R Ford, to launch an offensive against Venezuela with the aim of removing President Nicolas Maduro from power.
This latest move by Trump follows a prior advisory from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cautioning airlines about potential risks when flying over Venezuela due to heightened military activity and deteriorating security conditions in the region.
Venezuela’s civil aviation authority has announced the revocation of flight permits for several international airlines, including Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP, Colombia’s Avianca, Chile’s LATAM, Brazil’s Gol, and Turkish Airlines, accusing them of supporting what they termed as “state terrorism” instigated by the US government.
Tensions between the US and Venezuela have escalated amidst the US military buildup near South America, coupled with reported military actions targeting vessels in international waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in fatalities. While the US claims the targeted boats were involved in drug trafficking, critics, including Latin American leaders and international law experts, have labeled the strikes as extrajudicial killings, asserting that most of the casualties were innocent fishermen.
Accusations of drug trafficking have been traded between the US and Maduro, with the Venezuelan president alleging that the US is orchestrating a fabricated campaign against him. Maduro has accused the US of fabricating justifications for potential intervention in Venezuela.