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Donald Trump declared Venezuelan airspace closed, prompting Venezuela to call it a colonialist threat and violation of international law amid rising US military presence.
The Venezuelan government emphasised that its airspace must be respected and would not accept foreign orders or threats. (Reuters)
The Venezuelan government termed US President Donald Trump’s move to close airspace around Venezuela as “colonialist threat” that violates international law.
Trump issued a warning on Saturday, saying that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered closed, marking the latest escalation in a standoff with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
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“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
However, Trump did not elaborate on his future course of action as his administration continues to pile pressure on Venezuela with a major military deployment in the Caribbean that includes the world’s largest aircraft carrier.
The US President’s warning raised the prospects of direct US military intervention in Venezuela in its efforts to stop drug trafficking networks.
In response, the Venezuelan government issued a statement saying Trump’s comments are a “colonialist threat” against their sovereignty and violate international law, The Guardian reported. The government emphasized that its airspace must be respected and would not accept foreign orders or threats.
It said that following Trump’s announcement, all migrant deportation flights were “unilaterally suspended”.
Earlier this week, the US President told military service members that land operations to stop suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers will begin “very soon”.
“In recent weeks, you’ve been working to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers, of which there are many. Of course, there aren’t too many coming in by sea anymore,” he told Army personnel in a Thanksgiving call. “You probably noticed that people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.”
These comments suggested that the US president had made up his mind on a course of action in Venezuela following multiple high-level briefings and a mounting US show of force in the region. Trump has already designated Maduro and his government allies as members of a foreign terrorist organisation.
Over the past months, Washington has built up a large military presence close to Venezuela as part of Operation Southern Spear. An aircraft carrier, Marines and several warships have been deployed to the Caribbean. The US says this build-up is part of a wider effort to crack down on drug trafficking routes in the region.
As part of this operation, American forces have carried out multiple strikes in international waters on boats suspected of transporting illegal drugs. These strikes have been deadly, killing at least 80 people. Washington has claimed that several of these boats had departed from Venezuela.
Meanwhile, Venezuela has repeatedly accused Washington of preparing for regime change, pointing to an expanding American military footprint that includes warships, stealth aircraft and an aircraft carrier group stationed in the region.
First Published:
November 30, 2025, 18:01 IST
News world ‘Closing Airspace Violates International Law’: Venezuela Slams America’s ‘Colonialist Threat’
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