The US suspended repatriation flights and raised tensions with Venezuela after warning that its airspace should be considered closed.
Nicolás Maduro denounced that The United States unilaterally suspended repatriation flights of Venezuelan migrants and issued warnings that, according to Caracas, seek to “undermine the sovereignty of national airspace.” The accusation came after President Donald Trump published on social media that Venezuelan airspace should be considered “completely closed.”
In a statement, the Venezuelan government demanded “unrestricted respect” for its airspace and described Trump’s words as “a hostile, unilateral and arbitrary act, incompatible with the most basic principles of international law.” According to Caracas, these statements are part of a “permanent policy of aggression” against the country.
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Trump’s message, published in Truth Social, marked a sharp increase in the tone of his pressure on Maduro. In his text, the president assured that all airlines, pilots, drug traffickers and human traffickers should consider the airspace “over and around” Venezuela as completely closed, hinting at a hardening of the US strategy to corner the Venezuelan leader.
While the White House avoided answering questions about whether the message constituted a new formal policy or simply a rhetorical reaffirmation, in the region the impact was immediate. More than 80 people have died since the beginning of September in US attacks on vessels accused of transporting drugs in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, part of a campaign that has included reinforced naval presence and high-profile air-naval operations.
Last week, several international airlines began canceling flights to Venezuela after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a warning to pilots due to increased military activity in the country. Three US airlines that usually fly over the area confirmed to CBS News that they had avoided Venezuelan airspace for weeks.
The FAA, whose jurisdiction is generally limited to the United States and its territories, typically issues alerts for areas of military conflict or tension. In its recent notice, the agency recommended that civil aircraft “act with caution” in the face of the “worsening security situation” in Venezuelan territory.
The Venezuelan statement responded by accusing Washington of interfering without authority in decisions that only concern national institutions. “No authority outside of Venezuelan institutions has the power to interfere, block or condition the use of national airspace,” Caracas said, citing ICAO regulations. He also stated that the repatriation flights were “unilaterally suspended” by the United States.
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The escalation occurs in a broader context of US pressure. Washington does not recognize Maduro as a legitimate leader and the Venezuelan president faces narcoterrorism charges in US courts. In recent weeks, the Pentagon has carried out bomber flights near Venezuela, while the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the most advanced in the Navy, was deployed in the region as part of Operation “Southern Lance”, which totals almost a dozen ships and about 12,000 troops.
The political atmosphere in Washington also became tense after it became known that the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, had issued a verbal order for The entire crew of a suspected ship was killed during a September 2 attack, as revealed by The Washington Post. Given this, Senators Roger Wicker and Jack Reed announced that the Senate Armed Services Committee will carry out a “rigorous supervision” of the events.
Meanwhile, Trump’s team is evaluating military and non-military options against Venezuela, including a CIA covert action authorized in October. At the same time, the president has publicly hinted at his willingness to talk with Maduro. According to The New York Times, the two had a recent call, although the White House refused to confirm the contact.
Source: Integrated information system
