President Trump warned that Venezuelan airspace is too dangerous to fly.
“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” he posted Saturday on social media.
This comes after the Federal Aviation Administration warned last week that all pilots need to “exercise caution” when flying above Venezuela “due to worsening security situation and heightened military activity.”
The message said unspecified threats “could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes,” including planes taking off, landing or on the ground in the area.
International airlines, namely TAP, LATAM, Avianca, Iberia, Gol and Caribbean, started canceling flights to Venezuela after the warning.
But Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote on X that “there must be regular flights to all Latin American countries and from Latin America and the world.”
He added, “Countries are not blocked, because blocking countries means blocking people, and that is a crime against humanity.”
The increased safety measures come as Trump ramps up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom the administration sees as illegitimate.
Mr. Maduro faces charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S.
The administration has launched strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific Ocean for a few months. Over 20 boats have been destroyed, with at least 80 people killed.
Trump has argued that the strikes have stopped drugs from coming over U.S. borders, saving Americans.
The U.S. has bolstered its military presence in the region, with bombers flying along to the coast of Venezuela and with the USS Gerald R. Ford’s carrier group arriving there.
Venezuela has mobilized troops and civilians to defend against a possible American attack.
Some lawmakers, including Republicans, question whether the boat strikes are legal — while Trump allies cheer the bombings for saving American lives.
On Thanksgiving, Mr. Trump praised service members for their work in Venezuela.
“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 said on the call.
He also hinted that land strikes on Venezuela could be “very soon.”
“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 president said. “The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.
“We warn them: Stop sending poison to our country.”
