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Venezuela’s airspace will be closed indefinitely, Donald Trump said on Saturday.
In a Truth Social post, the US president wrote: “To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.”
Earlier this week Venezuela revoked operating rights for six major airlines including Iberia and Turkish Airlines after they heeded western warnings and suspended routes following a military build-up by US forces in the region.
Venezuela’s civil aviation authority also revoked the rights for Latam, TAP, Avianca and Gol, accusing the carriers of taking part in “acts of state terrorism promoted by the US”.
The US Federal Aviation Administration last week warned airlines of potential dangers when flying in Venezuelan airspace, citing the “worsening security situation and heightened military activity”.
The US deployment — which includes the world’s most advanced aircraft carrier, more than 14,000 troops, a dozen warships and a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine — has carried out strikes against alleged drug trafficking vessels, killing more than 83 people.
Venezuela’s authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro has claimed the build-up is a pretext for his ousting.
This is a developing story.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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