Venezuela Responds to Trump's Call to Close Its Airspace: "Colonial Threat"

Venezuela accused former US Donald Trump of issuing a "colonial threat" after Trump wrote a social media post on Saturday suggesting that "the airspace around Venezuela should be closed."

1. The US Declaration and Venezuela's Reaction

• Trump's Post: Trump wrote on Truth Social, addressing airlines, pilots, drug dealers, and human traffickers:

  "Please consider the airspace over and surrounding Venezuela fully closed."

• Venezuela's Official Response:

  • The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry described Trump's remarks as an "excessive, illegal, and also unwarranted aggression against the Venezuelan people."

  • It condemned the message as a "colonial threat that seeks to undermine the sovereignty of its airspace," labeling it a "new provocative, illicit, and unjustified aggression."

  • Caracas emphasized its "categorical rejection of the message published by President (Trump) on social media," considering it an "eccentric way of issuing orders and threatening the sovereignty of the Venezuelan national airspace."

• Legal and Practical Impact: The US has no legal authority to close another country's airspace, but Trump's post could cause alarm regarding travel to Venezuela and prompt airlines to cease operations there.

2. Escalating Military and Security Pressure

Trump's threat comes amid a broad US military and political escalation against Venezuela:

• Military Presence: The US has bolstered its military presence in the Caribbean region, claiming the goal is counter-narcotics trafficking.

  • Washington deployed the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and nearly 15,000 troops near Venezuela.

• Threat of Ground Operations: Trump intensified the stance on Thursday, warning that a "ground" operation would "start very soon" as part of US efforts to stop drug trafficking from Venezuela.

• Drug Allegations: The US classified the Cartel de Los Soles (Cartel of the Suns) as a foreign terrorist organization and claimed that President Nicolás Maduro is its leader, alleging the group is involved in widespread corruption.

  • Maduro and Cabello's Rejection: President Maduro rejected US claims about his country's involvement in drug trafficking, calling them an attempt to overthrow him. Venezuelan Interior and Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello (who also faces similar US charges) dismissed the accusations as "fabricated."

3. Regulatory and Air Measures

• FAA Warning: Trump's threats came days after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned airlines of "increased military activity in and around Venezuela."

• Venezuelan Action: On Wednesday, Venezuela imposed a ban on six major international airlines (including Iberia, TAP Air Portugal, and Turkish Airlines), preventing them from landing for failing to meet a 48-hour deadline to resume flights to the country.