Donald Trump has announced the complete closure of the airspace over and around Venezuela amidst escalating fears of potential armed conflict. In a message on Truth Social, Trump directed airlines, pilots, drug dealers, and human traffickers to adhere to the airspace closure above Venezuela. The impact of this closure has been evident, as minimal aircraft activity has been observed over Venezuela, with no flights recorded over Caracas as of 12.15pm local time. Venezuela has not yet responded to this declaration.
Concerns are mounting that Trump might utilize the significant US military presence in the region, including troops, a nuclear submarine, and warships near the USS Gerald R Ford, to launch an operation against Venezuela aimed at removing President Nicolas Maduro.
This recent move by Trump follows a prior warning from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to major airlines about potential risks when flying over Venezuela due to heightened military activity and a deteriorating security environment in the region.
Venezuela’s civil aviation authority recently announced the revocation of flight permits for multiple 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’ involvement in what they termed as “actions of state terrorism supported by the United States government” as the reason for the permit cancellations.
Tensions between the US and Venezuela have escalated amidst the increasing US military presence off the South American coast and a series of military operations targeting vessels in international waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in the deaths of at least 83 individuals.
Accusations have been exchanged between the US and Venezuela, with the US alleging Maduro’s involvement in drug trafficking while Maduro accuses the US government of concocting a campaign against him. Maduro has criticized the US for fabricating reasons to interfere in Venezuela, emphasizing what he perceives as a growing stream of excuses and falsehoods to justify intervention in his country.
