The President of the USA, , issued a warning this Saturday (29) that the airspace over and near the city should be considered closed. This is the latest escalation in tension with the left-wing leader.
“To all airlines, pilots, drug traffickers and human traffickers,” Trump wrote on his social media site Truth Social, “please consider the AIR SPACE OVER AND AROUND VENEZUELA TO BE COMPLETELY CLOSED.”
The American president did not provide further details.
The statement comes amid growing pressure from the Trump administration on Venezuela with a large military deployment in the Caribbean, which includes the world’s largest aircraft carrier. Washington claims the objective is to contain drug trafficking, but Caracas insists that regime change is the ultimate goal.
US forces have carried out attacks against more than 20 suspected Venezuelan drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since early September, killing more than 80 people.
Washington has not yet released evidence that the targeted vessels were used for drug smuggling or posed a threat to .
Regional tensions increased as a result of the campaign and the resulting military reinforcement.
The newspaper The New York Times reported on Friday (28) that the two leaders spoke by phone last week and discussed a possible meeting in the United States.
The news about the connection between Trump and Maduro came one day after the American president stated that efforts to stop Venezuelan drug trafficking by land were imminent, further increasing tensions with Caracas.
See Donald Trump’s post:
Trump recommends airlines avoid Venezuelan airspace
*With information from AFP
Published by Nícolas Robert
