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Venezuela has rejected US President Donald Trump’s threat to shut down its airspace as an illegal “colonialist” attack on its sovereignty.
Trump, who accuses Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading a drug cartel, intensified his warnings against “narcoterrorists” on Saturday. “To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
His comments came amid a US military buildup near the Venezuelan coast and strikes on alleged cartel boats in international waters.
The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning “the colonialist threat aimed at undermining the sovereignty of its airspace.”
“This type of declaration constitutes a hostile, unilateral, and arbitrary act, incompatible with the most fundamental principles of international law,” the statement said.
Trump has refused to rule out military operations on Venezuelan territory and hinted during his Thanksgiving message to troops that strikes could soon follow.
Maduro has denied any ties to cartels and warned Washington against starting “a crazy war” in the region. He previously placed the armed forces on high alert and held several drills.
The US Federal Aviation Administration has warned airlines of a “potentially hazardous situation” when flying over Venezuela. Caracas has responded by suspending flights from six international carriers.
