Venezuela Denounces Trump’s Airspace Warning As 'Colonialist Threat'

Venezuela has sharply criticised former US President Donald Trump after he declared that the airspace above and around the country should be considered “closed,” calling the remarks a “colonialist threat” and an unjustified act of aggression.

In a statement, Venezuela’s foreign ministry said Trump’s comments amounted to an “extravagant, illegal and unjustified aggression against the Venezuelan people,” stressing that the United States has no legal authority to dictate control over another nation’s airspace. The ministry warned that such remarks could trigger confusion for international travellers and airlines, potentially discouraging carriers from operating flights to the country.

Trump’s statement comes amid heightened military activity by the United States in the Caribbean, which Washington insists is part of operations against drug smuggling. Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly rejected US allegations of drug trafficking, accusing Washington of using such claims as a pretext to destabilise his government and justify intervention.

Posting on his social media platform, Trump urged “all airlines, pilots, drug dealers, and human traffickers” to treat Venezuelan airspace as fully closed. The White House did not respond to requests for clarification.

The remarks have also provoked bipartisan criticism in Washington. Senior lawmakers from both major parties objected to Trump’s unilateral posture, emphasising that the US Constitution gives Congress — not the president — the authority to declare war. Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said Trump’s actions were pulling the country “closer to another costly foreign war,” while Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene reiterated that Congress alone holds war-making powers.

The dispute unfolds days after the US Federal Aviation Administration warned airlines of increased military activity near Venezuela. Caracas has accused Washington of escalating tensions, claiming that the United States has also unilaterally suspended its weekly migrant repatriation flights.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s armed forces conducted coastal military drills on Saturday, with state television broadcasting images of anti-aircraft systems and artillery being deployed.

Adding to the turbulence in the aviation sector, Venezuela recently barred six major international airlines — Iberia, TAP Portugal, Gol, Latam, Avianca and Turkish Airlines — from landing in the country, citing their failure to meet a 48-hour deadline to resume services.