US President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that the airspace over and around Venezuela should be considered completely closed, amid escalating tensions with leftist leader Nicolás Maduro.
"To all airlines, pilots, drug dealers and human traffickers, please consider that the airspace over and around Venezuela is completely closed," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network without giving further details.
Since the beginning of September, the Donald Trump administration has increased pressure on Venezuela, with a major military deployment in the Caribbean that includes the world's largest aircraft carrier.
The US president says his goal is to stop drug trafficking from the South American country, but Caracas says he is seeking regime change.
Following the deployment of the military fleet, US forces have killed at least 83 people in their more than 20 attacks against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific.
So far, Washington has not provided any evidence that these vessels were used to transport drugs or posed a threat to the United States.
Regional tensions have intensified as a result of the campaign and the accompanying military buildup.
US aviation authorities last week urged civilian aircraft operating in Venezuelan airspace to"exercise caution" due to the "worsening security situation and intensified military activity in or around Venezuela."
The warning resulted in the suspension of flights to and from Venezuela by six airlines that represent a large part of the traffic in South America.
The Venezuelan aeronautical authority revoked the operating permits in the country for Spain's Iberia, Portugal's TAP, Colombia's Avianca, the Colombian subsidiary of Chilean-Brazilian Latam, Brazil's GOL, and Turkey's Turkish Airlines.
The Nicolás Maduro regime accuses the airlines of"joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government, unilaterally suspending their air transport operations."
The New York Times reported on Friday that the two leaders had a telephone conversation last week in which they discussed a possible meeting in the United States.
The news about the call between Trump and Maduro came a day after the US president said efforts to stop Venezuelan drug trafficking by land were imminent, further increasing tensions with Caracas.
AFP
