U.S.–Venezuela Tensions Rise as Trump Orders Airspace Treated as Closed
U.S. President Donald Trump declared on Saturday that the airspace over and around Venezuela should be treated as entirely off-limits, offering no clarification and prompting uncertainty in Caracas as Washington intensifies pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government. His message on social media read: “To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.”
Officials in Washington said they were unaware of any military plan to implement such a closure. Neither the Pentagon nor the White House provided additional detail. Venezuela’s government denounced the declaration as a “colonialist threat” that violates international norms, calling it a unilateral act hostile to the nation’s sovereignty.
Military analysts noted that enforcing a no-fly zone would require extensive planning and resources. As one expert put it, “The devil’s in the details.” The administration has been reviewing actions related to alleged drug-trafficking networks linked to Venezuela, accusations Maduro rejects.
Residents in Caracas voiced concern that Trump’s statement could disrupt travel and separate families. One cooking assistant said people rely on flights for work and family needs, while a lawyer worried about holiday travel, saying, “We’re confined, here in Caracas, in Venezuela. Of course it affects us.”
Venezuelan officials accused Washington of pursuing “colonial ambitions” and argued that the announcement effectively halts deportation flights that have recently returned thousands of Venezuelans. They also noted increased military activity, surveillance, and disruptions to GPS signals amid the U.S. buildup. The declaration comes shortly after an American aviation warning about heightened risks for flights over Venezuela.
