President Donald Trump announced Saturday that Venezuelan airspace should be considered closed to all air traffic as the United States weighs further military action against the South American nation.
“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” the president stated in a social media post Saturday morning.
The Venezuelan government responded swiftly, characterizing Trump’s declaration as a “colonial threat” designed to undermine the nation’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. The Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling such declarations “a hostile, unilateral and arbitrary act” that the government “forcefully rejects.”
Despite the president’s announcement, flight-tracking data indicated several aircraft remained in Venezuelan airspace Saturday morning. However, numerous commercial airlines had already begun rerouting flights away from the region earlier this month following a Federal Aviation Administration warning of heightened military activity in the area.
The aviation dispute escalated Wednesday when Venezuela’s civil aviation authority revoked takeoff and landing rights from six commercial carriers, accusing them of supporting what it termed “state terrorism promoted by the United States government.”
The airspace closure represents the latest development in an expanding American military campaign focused on disrupting Venezuelan drug trafficking operations. Speaking to U.S. troops on Thanksgiving, Trump indicated that land-based operations against drug traffickers would commence shortly, building upon the naval interdiction efforts that have dominated recent months.
“It’s about 85 percent stopped by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land,” the president said from his Mar-a-Lago estate. “Also, the land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.”
Since early September, American forces have conducted nearly two dozen known strikes against vessels allegedly transporting narcotics, resulting in at least 82 casualties. The USS Gerald R. Ford, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, arrived in Caribbean waters last week, marking the most significant concentration of U.S. military assets in the region in decades.
The Trump administration has steadily intensified pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government throughout recent months. Last week, the United States designated the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization. American officials allege the cartel operates under Maduro’s direction, a claim the Venezuelan leader has categorically denied.
Maduro has maintained his government holds no connection to drug trafficking operations and has accused Washington of fabricating justification for military action against his administration.
The escalating confrontation raises significant questions about American intentions in the region and the potential scope of military operations. The concentration of naval and air assets, combined with the president’s statements regarding land-based operations, suggests the administration may be preparing for a substantial expansion of its campaign against Venezuelan-linked drug trafficking.
The situation continues to develop as international observers monitor American military movements and diplomatic responses from regional governments. The closure of Venezuelan airspace, whether enforced through military means or voluntary airline compliance, represents a dramatic escalation in the ongoing dispute between Washington and Caracas.
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