US President Donald Trump has said that the entire airspace above and around Venezuela is now closed. This has made the already tense relationship between the two countries even worse.
Trump posted a message on X, which was earlier called Twitter. He told airlines, pilots and even drug traffickers that the airspace over Venezuela should be treated as completely shut. He ended the message by signing it as President Donald J Trump.
The Venezuelan government has not reacted to this announcement yet.
This move came soon after the US aviation authority warned airlines that flying over Venezuela could be dangerous. They said the security situation in the country is getting worse and the military activity in and around the region is increasing.
After this warning, Venezuela cancelled the operating rights of six major international airlines. These airlines had already stopped their flights because of the US alert.
While talking to US military members on Thanksgiving on November 27, Trump hinted that the US is getting ready to take stronger action against what he says are drug trafficking groups in Venezuela. He said that action on the ground could begin very soon.
Earlier in the week, Trump also labelled Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his top officials as part of a foreign terrorist group. The name used was Cartel de los Soles. Experts say this is not an official cartel but a term used for government officials accused of corruption.
This terrorist label lets the US place new sanctions on Maduro’s money and property. But legal experts say this does not give the US the right to use deadly force.
At the same time, the US military has increased its presence near the region under something called Operation Southern Spear. More than twelve warships and around fifteen thousand troops have been sent. The mission is aimed at stopping drug trafficking. Reports say over eighty people have died due to boat strikes carried out by US forces during this operation.
