Venezuela has sharply condemned former US President Donald Trump’s dramatic declaration that the airspace above and around the country “is closed,” describing the remark as an illegal act of aggression with no basis in international law.
In a statement, Venezuela’s foreign ministry calls Trump’s comments “another extravagant, illegal and unjustified attack on the Venezuelan people,” accusing him of issuing a “colonialist threat” at a time of rising US military activity near its borders.
Trump posted the warning on Truth Social, telling “airlines, pilots, drug dealers and human traffickers” to consider all Venezuelan airspace closed. The White House has not commented on his remarks.
Caracas argues that the US has no authority to restrict another nation’s airspace and accuses Washington of escalating tensions by deploying the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier and around 15,000 troops the largest US deployment in the region since the 1989 Panama invasion. The US has also carried out at least 21 strikes on boats it claims were involved in drug trafficking, operations that have reportedly killed more than 80 people. No evidence has been publicly provided.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro maintains that the US military presence is aimed at triggering regime change, alleging that Washington wants to remove him from office following an election widely criticised as flawed.
Trump’s stance has sparked opposition in Washington. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned that the former president’s posture “pushes America closer to another costly foreign war,” stressing that only Congress can declare war under the US Constitution. Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a staunch Trump ally, echoed the reminder.
Tensions intensified after the US Federal Aviation Administration last week issued a security alert warning airlines of “heightened military activity” around Venezuela, prompting several carriers to suspend flights. Caracas then withdrew their take-off and landing rights.
Venezuela is now calling on the United Nations, world governments and multilateral bodies to reject what it labelled an “immoral act of aggression.” In response to the US posture, Venezuela’s military carried out coastal drills on Saturday, with state television showing anti-aircraft systems and artillery positioned along strategic points.
The US has also designated the Cartel de los Soles which it alleges is led by Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials as a foreign terrorist organisation, giving US forces wider powers to target the group. Caracas has “categorically and absolutely” rejected the designation.
Regional reactions remain mixed. Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro accused the US of attempting to “dominate Latin America through violence,” while other leaders in the hemisphere have supported Trump’s tougher stance.
As tensions rise, Venezuela insists that any attempt to seal its airspace or expand US military operations would be a dangerous violation of sovereignty one it says the international community must not ignore.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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