The Colombian president, Gustavo Petroasked this Sunday international actions against the “illegal closure” of Venezuelan airspace announced by his American counterpart Donald Trump.
In a message on his social networks, the South American president called on the European Union (EU) order the normalization of flights to and from Venezuelaafter Trump stated that that nation’s airspace was “completely closed.”
Petro urged that, In case of non-compliance, airlines are fined who decide to abide by measures that, according to the president, have no legal basis.
“The closure of Venezuelan airspace is completely illegal,” he wrote in X.
Peter demanded that the European bloc act “for the sake of the agreement reached between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean”signed this month in Santa Marta, where both regions committed to “full compliance with international law.”
The closure of Venezuelan airspace is completely illegal. The ICAO must meet immediately.
The ICAO Secretary General must immediately convene the Assembly
There is no authorization from the UN security council for military actions against our neighbor.
He…
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) November 30, 2025
Petro’s statements to the ICAO
The president of Colombia also requested the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) immediately call an emergency meeting to evaluate the situation, the agency said EFE.
The president recalled that the secretary general of that organization is the Colombian Juan Carlos Salazar and affirmed that the Assembly must meet urgently given what Trump announced.
In his message, Petro pointed out that there is currently no “UN Security Council authorization for military actions” on Venezuela and that the United States Senate has not given authorization for an armed intervention either.
In this context, he considered that “no airline should accept illegal orders over the airspace of any country” and also requested “all Latin American and Caribbean countries to restart their normal flights.”
In turn, asked Trump to “return to respect for the international legal order”.
“Venezuela needs more democracy and democracy is a product only of its internal forces and its people,” he added.
Trump warns that Venezuelan airspace be considered “completely closed”
Escalation of tensions between Washington and Caracas
In a new escalation of tensions between Washington and Caracas, this Saturday Trump published a message on his Truth Social network directed at “airlines, pilots, drug traffickers and human traffickers.”
In his message, the president warned that “the airspace over Venezuela and its surroundings will remain closed in its entirety”, although it did not offer details about the operational or legal scope of the measure.
Despite this, the Maiquetía International Airport maintained normal operations that same day, according to press reports.
Venezuela’s main airport facility received flights from several countries, including Cuba, while airlines such as Copa Airlines, Wingo, Boliviana de Aviación, Satena, Avior and Conviasa They continued to operate normally.
However, previously Other companies, such as Iberia, Avianca, TAP and Turkish Airlines, had already canceled their flights to Venezuelan territory. after a prior warning from the US Government. This led to the revocation of their licenses by the Maduro Executive.
Trump’s announcement occurs in a context of growing tensions since August, when he ordered a massive military deployment in Caribbean waters, near Venezuela, under the argument of combating drug trafficking.
Caracas considers it a “threat” that seeks to promote a change of government, something that also The Cuban Government has warnedMaduro’s main ally in the region.
