Trump Declares Venezuelan Airspace "Closed" Amid Escalating Tensions: Venezuela Condemns "Colonial Threat"

US President Donald Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro

President Donald Trump declared on Saturday that airspace "above and surrounding" Venezuela should be considered "closed in its entirety," a statement that has raised significant questions regarding US pressure tactics against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. In response, Venezuela's government condemned Trump's remarks as a "colonial threat" aimed at undermining the South American nation's sovereignty.

The White House offered no clarification when questioned about Trump's Truth Social platform post. It remains unclear whether this represents a new policy direction or simply reinforces his ongoing campaign against Maduro. This campaign has included multiple strikes on small vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, alongside a substantial buildup of naval forces in the region. These military actions have resulted in over 80 fatalities since early September.

Trump directed his call for an aerial blockade specifically to "Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers," rather than addressing Maduro directly.

Venezuela's government issued a strong statement "forcefully rejecting" Trump's claims about closing their airspace, describing it as a "colonial threat" designed to compromise the country's "territorial integrity, aeronautical security and full sovereignty."

The Foreign Ministry characterized these declarations as "a hostile, unilateral and arbitrary act."

Additionally, the statement noted that US immigration authorities had unilaterally suspended biweekly deportation flights of Venezuelan migrants. Following previous negotiations between the two governments, more than 13,000 Venezuelans have been deported to Venezuela this year on dozens of chartered flights, with the most recent arrival in Caracas, the capital, occurring late Friday, according to flight-tracking data.

International airlines began canceling flights to Venezuela last week after the Federal Aviation Administration advised pilots to exercise caution when flying near the country due to increased military activity.

The FAA's jurisdiction typically extends only to the United States and its territories. However, the agency regularly issues warnings to pilots about dangers associated with flying over conflict zones or areas with military operations worldwide, as it did recently regarding Venezuela. The FAA collaborates with other countries and the International Civil Aviation Organization on international matters. Neither the FAA nor ICAO immediately responded to requests for comment on Saturday.

Trump's administration has consistently sought to increase pressure on Maduro. The US government does not recognize Maduro as the legitimate leader of the oil-rich but increasingly impoverished South American nation, and he faces narcoterrorism charges in the US.

US forces have conducted bomber flights near Venezuela, and the USS Gerald R. Ford, America's most advanced aircraft carrier, has been deployed to the region. The Ford completes the largest buildup of US military power in the area in generations. With its arrival, "Operation Southern Spear" now involves nearly a dozen Navy ships and approximately 12,000 sailors and Marines.

Bipartisan calls for greater oversight of US military strikes against vessels in the region have emerged after The Washington Post reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order for all crew members to be killed during the September 2 attack on suspected drug smugglers.

Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and its top Democrat, Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, stated jointly on Friday that the committee "will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances."

Trump's team has considered both military and nonmilitary options regarding Venezuela, including covert CIA operations.

Trump has publicly suggested the possibility of dialogue with Maduro. The New York Times reported Friday that Trump and Maduro had already spoken, though the White House declined to answer questions about this alleged conversation.