Trump Declares Closure of Venezuela’s Airspace
President Trump on Saturday declared that the airspace “above and surrounding” Venezuela is to be closed, a sign that he might soon launch an attack on the country with the aim of ousting President Nicolas Maduro.
“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
It’s unclear if the declaration means that the US will impose a no-fly zone on Venezuela, which would be an act of war. Such a step or any military strikes on Venezuela would be illegal without congressional authorization, per the US Constitution.
The order came after the president said that he may “very soon” expand the bombing campaign against alleged drug-running boats in the region to strikes on Venezuelan territory.
The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry later responded by calling Trump’s declaration “a hostile, unilateral, and arbitrary act, incompatible with the most basic principles of International Law.” Venezuelan officials also said the announcement halted all deportation flights from the US to Venezuela, saying Trump “unilaterally suspended the Venezuelan migrant flights that were regularly and weekly being carried out.”
