Donald Trump announced that airlines should consider completely closing airspace over and around Venezuela, in yet another measure of pressure against the Caribbean country – a statement that is part of a broader strategy that combines economic and psychological actions. The analysis is by Lourival Sant’anna, at the CNN Prime Time.
“This operation is still in the psychological phase. Both the , and the actions that blocked the Russian oil tanker’s access to Venezuela, are operations that have the dual objective of strangling Venezuela economically, but also exerting psychological pressure”, explains Sant’anna.
Pressure without direct intervention
The main objective of these measures is to exert pressure on and possibly encourage dissent and defections among the military supporting the government. Experts indicate that there are no plans for bombings or direct interventions in Venezuelan territory, mainly due to the lack of legal support for such actions.
“There will be no bombing now, because there is no legal protection for these land attacks”, points out the analyst, adding: “There is a lot of pressure in the United States against these actions.”
American naval operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific have generated controversy even within the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement. The criticisms are mainly based on the fact that one of Trump’s main promises was precisely the disengagement from international conflicts.
The current scenario demonstrates a strategy focused on economic and psychological pressure, avoiding direct military actions on Venezuelan territory. Naval operations continue to take place in the region despite legal issues and domestic criticism in the United States.
