President Trump on Saturday told commercial airlines to treat Venezuelan airspace as closed, escalating the standoff between the US and the government of Nicolás Maduro with a step that sometimes precedes airstrikes. Posting on Truth Social, per the Washington Post, Trump wrote, "To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY." The US has no authority to close another nation's airspace, but the FAA can prohibit American airlines from flying in it, per the Wall Street Journal. And Trump's post could deter air traffic.
Venezuela had already yanked the operating rights of six major international airlines after they suspended flights in response to the Federal Aviation Administration warning a week ago that carriers face an increased risk in its airspace, per Politico. Trump's announcement could well disrupt travel and Venezuela's economy. The effect on travel between the US and Venezuela should be limited, per the New York Times. Cirium, an aviation data provider, reports no scheduled commercial flights between the nations. Hours after Trump posted, a few commercial flights were tracked over Venezuela.
US forces, which have been beefed up in the area, have carried out strikes against vessels the Trump administration says were trafficking drugs. Trump, who accuses Maduro of colluding with narco-terrorist groups, on Thursday suggested the military campaign could be extended to targets on land. "We warn them. Stop sending poison to our country," Trump said in his Thanksgiving comments, per the Journal.
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