The President of the United States, Donald Trump, said that Venezuela’s airspace should be considered “closed in its entirety” by airlines. The statement was made on Truth Social, a social network created by Trump himself. “The airspace above and around Venezuela is closed in its entirety,” he posted, extending the warning to drug and human traffickers.
According to the Reuters agency, U.S. authorities were surprised by Trump’s announcement and had no knowledge of any ongoing U.S. military operation to enforce the closure of Venezuelan airspace.
Hours later, the Venezuelan government issued a statement condemning Trump’s claim. In a note, it classified Trump’s comments as a “colonialist threat” against the country’s sovereignty and incompatible with international law. It called Trump’s attitude “illegal and unjustified” against the people of Venezuela.
“This type of statement constitutes a hostile, unilateral, and arbitrary act, incompatible with the most elementary principles of International Law and which fits into a permanent policy of aggression against our country, with colonial pretensions over our Latin America and Caribbean region, denying International Law,” stated the Venezuelan government.
Trump’s escalation in actions and speeches against President Nicolás Maduro’s Venezuela has been bringing new episodes in recent months. The United States has already positioned warships in the Caribbean Sea, near the South American country, under the pretext of combating international drug trafficking. They have already sunk small vessels and caused deaths.
About two weeks ago, Trump said he might start talks with Maduro but gave no details. However, last Friday (28), he stated that he may order ground actions against the drug traffickers he claims to be fighting. In response, Maduro asked Air Force members to be “on alert, ready, and willing” to defend Venezuela’s rights.
Trump reportedly gave Maduro an ultimatum to leave Venezuela
The United States ramped up pressure on the Venezuelan government by offering security guarantees to President Nicolás Maduro if he immediately steps down from office. The information was disclosed by the Miami Herald newspaper and reported by the Russian agency TASS, which provided details of a telephone conversation in November between Maduro and U.S. President Donald Trump, current head of the White House.
According to the Miami Herald, cited by TASS, sources involved in the negotiations stated that Washington would be willing to guarantee safe passage to Maduro, his wife, and his son if he agrees to resign now.
One of the interlocutors consulted by the newspaper said that the call between Maduro and Trump was “a last-ditch effort to avoid a direct confrontation,” that is, “a last-minute effort to avoid a direct confrontation.” The call was reportedly arranged by Brazil, Qatar, and Turkey, according to the report.
The article also notes that Caracas proposed transferring political control to opposition sectors while maintaining command of the Armed Forces under its current structure—a proposal that Washington did not consider sufficient.
Source: Agência Brasil