CARACAS, VENEZUELA—The government of President Nicolás Maduro has fiercely condemned President Donald Trump’s latest escalation in the ongoing geopolitical standoff, denouncing his declaration that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered “closed in its entirety” as a “colonialist threat” and a gross violation of international law.
The crisis, which has already seen Venezuela ban six major airlines and the U.S. unilaterally suspend migrant repatriation flights, intensified dramatically after President Trump issued the statement on his social media platform late Saturday, providing no immediate details on how or why the order would be enforced.
The Presidential Decree: ‘Closed in its Entirety’
In a move that caught even some U.S. defense officials off guard, President Trump posted a blunt, unambiguous message to his followers:
“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.”
The declaration follows weeks of mounting tension, fueled by a major U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean—including the deployment of a large aircraft carrier strike group—and repeated U.S. strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the region. The Trump administration has consistently framed its actions as necessary to combat the alleged role of the Maduro government in international drug trafficking, a charge Caracas vehemently denies.
Caracas Slams ‘Hostile, Illegal’ Aggression
Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry responded within hours, releasing a defiant statement that rejected the U.S. directive and demanded “unrestricted respect” for its sovereignty.
- Condemnation: The statement read: “Venezuela denounces and condemns the colonialist threat that seeks to affect the sovereignty of its airspace, constituting yet another extravagant, illegal, and unjustified aggression against the Venezuelan people.”
- Violation of Law: The Maduro government called the U.S. declaration a “hostile, unilateral, and arbitrary act, incompatible with the most basic principles of International Law.”
The ministry also confirmed that the U.S. government has already “unilaterally suspended” biweekly migrant deportation flights to Venezuela in the wake of the President’s post, adding another layer of disruption to the fraught diplomatic relationship.
Escalation Follows FAA Warning
The highly irregular presidential declaration comes just over a week after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an official advisory, or NOTAM, warning airlines to “exercise caution” when flying over Venezuela due to a “worsening security situation and heightened military activity.”
That FAA advisory led several major international carriers to suspend flights to Caracas, which in turn prompted Venezuela’s National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC) to revoke the operating permits of those airlines, accusing them of “joining the actions of state terrorism” promoted by the U.S.
While some U.S. experts question the feasibility of enforcing a complete airspace closure without a massive, complex military operation, the declaration sends the clearest signal yet of the administration’s willingness to use all means available to apply pressure on the Maduro regime.
The people of Caracas are feeling the impact, with residents expressing fear and anxiety over the accelerating military and diplomatic confrontation. “We’re confined, here in Caracas, in Venezuela,” said one resident to Reuters. “Of course, it affects us.”