US President Donald Trump has declared that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela is to be closed in its entirety.
Trump, in a post social media platform, Truth Social, said this afternoon: ‘To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.’
Flights to the South American country are still listed by airlines and on booking platforms.
Tensions are high between the US and Venezuela as the American military continues its two-month-long anti-drug offensive.
This has included strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing more than 80 people.
Targets have included members of Tren de Aragua, a transnational gang with roots in a Venezuelan prison, US officials say.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently advised pilots to ‘exercise caution’ near Venezuela’s airspace due to the ‘worsening security situation and heightened military activity’.
Venezuela responded by banning flights operated by six major international airlines:
- Spain’s Iberia
- Portugal’s TAP
- Colombia’s Avianca
- Chile and Brazil’s LATAM
- Brazil’s GOL
- Turkish Airlines
- The US Department of State issued a ‘Do Not Travel’ warning to Americans seeking to jet to Venezuela in May, which is still in force.
The warning states: ‘Do not travel to or remain in Venezuela due to the high risk of wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure.’
