CARACAS, Venezuela — Tensions between the United States and Venezuela escalated sharply over the weekend after President Donald Trump declared the airspace “above and surrounding Venezuela” closed, prompting Caracas to accuse Washington of making an unlawful “colonialist threat” amid growing military activity in the region.
In a strongly worded statement, Venezuela’s foreign ministry termed Trump’s remarks “another extravagant, illegal and unjustified aggression against the Venezuelan people,” insisting that the US has no authority under international law to regulate a sovereign state’s airspace.
The warning, issued on Trump’s Truth Social account, could nonetheless unsettle airlines and intensify fears of conflict.
“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed in its entirety,” Trump wrote, without citing any legal basis for the directive. The White House did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.
The standoff comes as the US deepens its military footprint in the Caribbean, deploying the USS Gerald Ford — the world’s largest aircraft carrier — and roughly 15,000 troops near Venezuelan waters. US officials insist the buildup is part of an anti–drug trafficking operation.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly rejected those claims, accusing the US of using narcotics enforcement as a pretext to destabilise and ultimately remove his government.
On Saturday, Venezuela conducted coastal military drills, with state television broadcasting manoeuvres featuring anti-aircraft systems and heavy artillery — a signal that Caracas is preparing for what it views as a growing threat.
The diplomatic fallout widened after Venezuela banned six major airlines — Iberia, TAP Portugal, Gol, Latam, Avianca, and Turkish Airlines — for failing to comply with a 48-hour deadline to resume flights. Caracas also accused Washington of “unilaterally suspending” weekly migrant repatriation flights.
“We call directly on the international community, sovereign governments, the UN, and multilateral bodies to firmly reject this immoral act of aggression,” the foreign ministry said.
The US Federal Aviation Administration had already issued a notice warning air operators of “heightened military activity” around Venezuela, adding to uncertainty in the aviation sector.
Trump’s declaration drew rare bipartisan condemnation in Washington, with lawmakers warning that the President does not have unilateral authority to take the country to war.
“President Trump’s reckless actions towards Venezuela are pushing America closer and closer to another costly foreign war,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer posted on X. “Under our Constitution, Congress has the sole power to declare war.”
Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene also criticised Trump, saying: “Reminder, Congress has the sole power to declare war.”
The US has escalated its rhetoric, warning that operations to halt Venezuelan drug trafficking “by land” would begin “very soon.” American forces claim to have targeted 21 boats allegedly carrying narcotics, resulting in more than 80 deaths — though US officials have yet to provide evidence that the vessels were transporting drugs.
Washington has also designated the Cartel de los Soles — which it alleges is led by Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials — as a foreign terrorist organisation. The designation grants US agencies expanded powers to target their leadership and financial networks.
Venezuela has “categorically, firmly, and absolutely rejected” the move, while influential minister Diosdado Cabello, whom the US identifies as a high-ranking cartel figure, dismissed the allegations as an “invention.”
The US State Department maintains that the cartel “has corrupted Venezuela’s military, intelligence, legislature and judiciary,” framing it as a regional threat.
Analysts warn that the trajectory of events — militarisation, diplomatic ultimatums and deteriorating dialogue — risks pushing both nations toward a direct confrontation not seen since the US invasion of Panama in 1989.
With both Washington and Caracas hardening their positions, and major international carriers withdrawing, uncertainty over the region’s stability continues to deepen.
