"President Donald Trump on Saturday said that the airspace "above and surrounding" Venezuela should be considered as "closed in its entirety," an assertion that raised more questions about the U.S. pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. His government accused Trump of making a "colonial threat" and seeking to undermine the South American country's sovereignty. The White House did not respond to questions about what Trump posted on his Truth Social platform,"
"Venezuela's government said it "forcefully rejects" Trump's claim about closing the airspace and that it was a "colonial threat" intended to undermine the country's "territorial integrity, aeronautical security and full sovereignty." The Foreign Ministry said "such declarations constitute a hostile, unilateral and arbitrary act." The statement also said that U.S. immigration authorities had unilaterally suspended biweekly deportation flights of Venezuelan migrants."
President Donald Trump said the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered closed in its entirety. The White House did not clarify whether the claim represented a new policy or reinforcement of campaign messaging, while U.S. forces have carried out multiple strikes on small boats accused of ferrying drugs and increased naval presence, with more than 80 killed since early September. Trump addressed his call to airlines, pilots, drug dealers and human traffickers rather than to Nicolás Maduro. Venezuela rejected the declaration as a colonial threat undermining territorial integrity and aeronautical security, called it hostile and arbitrary, and noted paused U.S. deportation flights after more than 13,000 Venezuelans were deported this year on chartered flights.
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