Trump announces closure of Venezuelan airspace and surrounding areas

Donald Trump, the U.S. President, posted on the social media platform Truth Social that the airspace over and around Venezuela is completely closed.

According to Reuters, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “To all airlines, pilots, drug traffickers, and human smugglers: please consider the airspace over and around Venezuela fully closed; thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Last week, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned major American airlines about what it described as a potentially dangerous situation when flying over Venezuela due to deteriorating security conditions and increased military activity in and around the country.

In response, Venezuela canceled the operational rights of six major international airlines that had suspended flights to the country following the FAA’s warning.

Tensions between Washington and Caracas have escalated sharply in recent months. During this period, the U.S. has conducted multiple military operations in the Caribbean and around Venezuela under the pretext of combating drug trafficking.