After the FAA warned airlines of a ‘worsening security scenario’ last week, the president made a remark on social media.
The Venezuelan administration has responded fiercely to increased pressure from the US government, including Donald Trump’s latest threats on Saturday that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela will be closed entirely.
In a statement, the Venezuelan government stated that Trump’s remarks represent a “colonialist threat” to their sovereignty and violate international law. The government has stated that it demands respect for its airspace and will not accept foreign commands or threats.
On Saturday, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “To all airlines, pilots, drug dealers, and human traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.”
The Venezuelan administration said that all migrant deportation planes had been “unilaterally suspended” as a result of Trump’s announcement. Deportation flights to Venezuela have been a major source of conflict for the Trump administration, which continues to carry out its mass deportation policy.
The US Defence Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
US raids on accused drug boats in the Caribbean have been ongoing for months, as has a US military buildup in the region. Trump has also authorised clandestine CIA activities in Venezuela.
This week, the president informed military personnel that the United States will “very soon” launch land operations to apprehend alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers.
Last week, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned major airlines of a “potentially hazardous situation” when flying over Venezuela, citing a “worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around” the South American country.
Venezuela withdrew the operating licenses of six major foreign airlines that had stopped flights to the country following the FAA notice.
The Trump administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of participation in drug trafficking, which he denies.
Maduro, who has been in office since 2013, has stated that Trump is attempting to depose him, and that Venezuelan residents and the military will oppose any such attempt.
So far, US forces in the region have focused on counter-narcotics operations, despite the fact that the available firepower greatly outweighs their needs.
Since September, they have launched at least 21 strikes on accused drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing at least 83 people.