Trump announces closure of Venezuelan airspace

US President Donald Trump has announced a complete closure of the airspace over and around the Latin American country of Venezuela.

On Saturday (November 29), Trump wrote in his Truth Social post, “To all airlines, pilots, drug traffickers and human traffickers—please consider the airspace over and around Venezuela to be completely closed.”

Earlier last week, the US aviation regulator warned airlines against operating flights over Venezuela due to the “adverse security situation and increased military activity in or around the country.” The directive was given to avoid a “potentially dangerous situation” in Venezuelan airspace.

Recently, Venezuela revoked the permits of six major international airlines due to tensions between the two countries. Those airlines suspended flights to the country after the US Federal Aviation Administration warned them.

The Trump administration has recently taken a tough stance against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his government. The United States has been raising the stakes, accusing the Maduro government of colluding with drug traffickers. But analysts believe that Washington is essentially preparing to illegally oust Maduro under the guise of drug-related charges.

The United States has already deployed an aircraft carrier to the Caribbean as part of war preparations. The United States has also attacked several ships suspected of being involved in drug trafficking there. More than a dozen people have died in these attacks. The United Nations has described these attacks as "extrajudicial killings."

Earlier this week, Trump announced that the United States would soon launch a ground operation to stop drug trafficking in Venezuela.

However, in a speech broadcast on state television on Thursday, Maduro said that Venezuelans are not afraid of this.

Reuters reports.