Donald Trump has announced the complete closure of the airspace over and around Venezuela amid escalating concerns of potential conflict. In a message on Truth Social, Trump urged airlines, pilots, drug traffickers, and human traffickers to acknowledge the airspace restrictions. The impact of this closure is evident as there has been minimal air traffic over Venezuela, with no flights reported over Caracas as of 12.15pm local time. Venezuela has not yet responded to this action.
Speculations are rife that Trump may utilize the significant US military presence in the region, including troops, a nuclear submarine, and warships accompanying the USS Gerald R Ford, to potentially launch an offensive against Venezuela to remove President Nicolas Maduro from power. This decision follows a previous warning from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to major airlines about the risks of flying over Venezuela due to heightened security concerns and increased military activities in the region.
Venezuela’s civil aviation authority recently announced the revocation of flight permits for several airlines, including Iberia, TAP, Avianca, LATAM, Gol, and Turkish Airlines, attributing the decision to their alleged involvement in “actions of state terrorism” supported by the US government. Tensions between the US and Venezuela have escalated further amidst the military buildup in South America and US military strikes targeting vessels near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in casualties.
The US has accused Maduro of involvement in drug trafficking, while Maduro has retaliated by accusing the US of fabricating a perpetual war against him. Maduro has criticized the US for creating false justifications to intervene in Venezuelan affairs.