US President Donald Trump continues to tighten the screws on Venezuela in an unprecedented escalation of rhetoric and military action. After announcing on Thursday that he would begin “very soon” to stop drug trafficking from Venezuela “also by land,” this Saturday he asserted that the Caribbean country’s airspace will be completely closed, a decision that brings the possibility of a military attack on Venezuela closer.
In a message posted on his social media account, Truth, the president wrote: “To all airlines, pilots, drug dealers, and human traffickers: Please consider that the airspace over and around Venezuela will remain closed.” Trump has not offered further details about the scope of this measure or how he plans to implement it.
Air traffic in Venezuela has been effectively suspended for a week, ever since the U.S. Air Force issued an alert on Monday warning of the risk of flying over the country due to"the worsening security situation and the intensification of military activity." Airlines such as Iberia, Air Europa, Latam, Avianca, TAP, Plus Ultra, and Turkish Airlines decided to suspend their operations immediately.
The Venezuelan National Institute of Civil Aeronautics gave airlines 48 hours to resume operations, under threat of having their licenses revoked. When the companies failed to comply, the government of Nicolás Maduro suspended the air traffic rights of Iberia, TAP, Avianca, Latam Colombia, Turkish Airlines, and Gol.
Venezuela's Ministry of Transport and the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC) accuse airlines of"joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government, unilaterally suspending commercial air operations to and from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela."
The closure of a country's airspace is often the prelude to a military attack. The United States has deployed its largest military contingent in the region in generations. On Thursday, Trump used a virtual meeting with members of the Armed Forces, held to mark Thanksgiving, to escalate his rhetoric. The American president threatened to begin"very soon" to arrest the country's "drug traffickers" by land."It's easier by land," the US president said on Thursday."We've warned them: stop sending poison into our country," he added, referring to the drug trafficking he blames on the Chavista regime.
In August, the White House ordered the largest military deployment in decades near Venezuela. More than 15,000 troops are in the region as a show of force to compel Maduro's removal, according to analysts. Earlier this month, the USS Gerald Ford, the largest and most advanced aircraft carrier in the US Navy, with its high destructive capacity, joined the military operation, marking a decisive turning point in the conflict between the two countries.
Since early September, Trump has also ordered a campaign against alleged drug-running boats sailing near Venezuelan waters, accusing them of working for the Cartel of the Suns and the Aragua Train, two drug trafficking gangs. Since then, the military has bombed some 20 boats without congressional authorization or judicial oversight. More than 80 people have been killed in these operations.
The United States has officially designated Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and several high-ranking officials in his government as terrorists for their alleged involvement in the Cartel of the Suns, a criminal organization dedicated to drug trafficking, according to the State Department. This decision provides the U.S. government with grounds for a potential military operation in Venezuela.
