Venezuela has criticised former US President Donald Trump over his declaration that the country’s airspace “is closed,” calling the comment an unlawful act of aggression and a revival of colonial-era posturing.
In a statement, the Venezuelan foreign ministry described Trump’s remark as “another extravagant, illegal and unjustified attack on the Venezuelan people,” accusing him of issuing a “colonialist threat” amid increased US military activity near the country’s borders.
Trump made the declaration on Truth Social, warning “airlines, pilots, drug dealers and human traffickers” to treat Venezuelan airspace as closed. The White House has not responded.
Caracas insists the US has no authority to impose restrictions on another nation’s airspace and accuses Washington of escalating tensions by deploying the USS Gerald Ford carrier strike group and about 15,000 troops — the largest US military presence in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama. The US has also carried out at least 21 strikes on boats it claims were used for drug trafficking, operations said to have resulted in more than 80 deaths, though no evidence has been publicly provided.
President Nicolás Maduro argues the US build-up is part of a regime-change agenda, claiming Washington seeks to remove him from office after an election widely criticised as flawed.
Trump’s comments have also stirred unease in Washington. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned the former president’s posture “pushes America closer to another costly foreign war,” stressing that only Congress can authorise such action. Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, previously a close ally of Trump, issued a similar reminder.
Tensions escalated further after the US Federal Aviation Administration issued a security alert last week, noting “heightened military activity” around Venezuela — a move that prompted several airlines to suspend flights. In response, Caracas withdrew their take-off and landing rights.
Venezuela is now urging the United Nations, governments and international bodies to reject what it calls an “immoral act of aggression.” Its military staged coastal defence drills on Saturday, with state television broadcasting images of anti-aircraft systems and artillery positioned at strategic locations.
The US has also designated the Cartel de los Soles — which it alleges is led by Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials — as a foreign terrorist organisation, expanding the scope of US military authority in the region. Caracas has “categorically and absolutely” rejected the designation.
Reaction across Latin America remains divided. Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro accused the US of attempting to “dominate Latin America through violence,” while some regional leaders have backed Trump’s tougher stance.
As tensions heighten, Venezuela insists that any attempt by the US to seal its airspace or expand military operations would constitute a grave violation of sovereignty — one it urges the international community not to ignore.
