Caracas Denounces “Illegal Threat”
Venezuela condemned Donald Trump after he claimed the country’s airspace should be treated as completely closed. The foreign ministry called his statement “another extravagant, illegal and unjustified aggression against the Venezuelan people”. Officials said the United States holds no authority to restrict another nation’s airspace. They accused Trump of issuing a “colonialist threat”. The United States expanded its regional military presence and carried out at least 21 strikes on boats it linked to drug trafficking, killing more than 80 people. Washington has offered no evidence. President Nicolás Maduro says these actions aim to remove him from power. Trump posted on Truth Social that airlines, pilots, traffickers and smugglers should “consider the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed in its entirety”. The White House did not immediately respond to an information request from an international news outlet.
US Lawmakers Challenge Trump’s Approach
Members of Congress reacted strongly to Trump’s growing threats. Several Democrats and Republicans said he ignored constitutional boundaries. Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer warned that Trump’s “reckless actions” pushed the United States toward “another costly foreign war”. He stressed that Congress alone can declare war. Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a close Trump ally, also reminded the public that Congress holds the sole power to declare war.
Airlines Halt Flights Amid Rising Tension
Trump’s comments followed a recent alert from the US Federal Aviation Administration. The agency warned airlines about “heightened military activity in and around Venezuela”. Several major carriers suspended flights after the alert. Caracas then revoked their take-off and landing rights. Venezuela’s foreign ministry urged global governments, the UN and major international institutions to reject what it called an “immoral act of aggression”. On the same day, the Venezuelan military held coastal drills. State TV showed anti-aircraft weapons and heavy artillery moving into new positions.
Large US Deployment Fuels Concern
The United States deployed the USS Gerald Ford and about 15,000 troops near Venezuelan territory. Washington says the deployment targets drug trafficking. It marks the largest US presence in the region since the 1989 Panama invasion. Trump warned that US operations to halt Venezuelan drug trafficking “by land” would begin “very soon”. Venezuelan officials believe Washington aims to topple Maduro, whose re-election last year drew widespread claims of fraud. Colombian President Gustavo Petro argued that the United States used “violence to dominate” Latin America, though some regional leaders supported Trump’s stance.
Terrorist Label Intensifies the Dispute
The United States designated Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organisation and claimed Maduro leads the group. The label gives US agencies broader powers to target and dismantle it. Venezuela “categorically, firmly, and absolutely” rejected the designation.
