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Trump declares Venezuela airspace ‘closed’ as standoff with Maduro escalates

Trump declares Venezuela airspace ‘closed’ as standoff with Maduro escalates

Photograph: (AFP)

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US President Donald Trump warned that the airspace over and around the country should be treated as closed in its entirety.

Amid ongoing US military operations against drug cartels near Venezuela, US President Donald Trump warned that the airspace over and around the country should be treated as closed, as tensions with leftist leader Nicolás Maduro continue to escalate.

“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers,” Trump writes on his Truth Social network, “please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.”

Trump's announcement comes following weeks of rising tensions between Venezuela and the United States have as Washington increased pressure on Nicolás Maduro’s government through sanctions and surveillance operations targeting regional drug cartels. Caracas accused the US of violating its sovereignty, while US officials warned of growing security threats around Venezuelan airspace.

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The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier to the Caribbean and carried out deadly strikes on vessels, which it claims were involved in drug trafficking.

Earlier this week, Donald Trump warned that he might soon target Venezuelan drug networks “by land”.

In a televised address on Thursday, Nicolás Maduro insisted that Venezuelans would not be intimidated, accusing Washington of escalating “excuses and lies” to justify possible intervention.

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Ajaypal Choudhary

Driven by a deep interest in international politics and geo-economics, Ajaypal Choudhary writes on and analyses a wide range of subjects from geopolitics and the global economy to ...Read More