As tensions between the two countries escalate, United States President Donald Trump has declared that the airspace above and around Venezuela will be completely closed.
Venezuela didn’t respond to Trump’s social media post on Saturday with an immediate response.
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He wrote on his Truth Social platform, “To all airlines, pilots, drug dealers, and human traffickers, please take into account the above and neighboring Venezuela being closed for good.”
Trump’s appointment comes amid weeks of senior US officials’ escalating threats to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his government.
Experts and human rights observers have warned that Washington appears to be laying the groundwork for an attempt to oust Maduro from power despite the Trump administration’s declaration that it is targeting Venezuela as part of a campaign to combat drug trafficking.
In what UN experts have described as extrajudicial killings, the US deployed an aircraft carrier to the Caribbean and carried out a number of deadly bombings on ships it claimed to be involved in drug trafficking.
Trump also hinted earlier this week that he would start looking into Venezuelan drug trafficking “by land” soon.
Maduro stated that Venezuelans would not be intimidated during a speech that was broadcast on state television on Thursday.
Before President Trump made this announcement on Saturday, the Venezuelan president claimed that he was “increasing what he called “excuses and lies” to try and justify an intervention in Venezuela, which is when Lucia Newman’s Al Jazeera explained.
Fear of attacks
Over the past few months, Newman claimed that the Trump administration has been “systematically increasing the pressure” on Maduro’s government.
Washington doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest in August, adding $50 million to that amount.
Additionally, the US announced earlier this week that it was naming the alleged “Cartel de los Soles” as a “terrorist” organization.
In the 1990s, Venezuelans began referring to senior military officers who had become wealthy from drug-running with the name “Cartel de los Soles.”
The US president has reportedly spoken with his counterpart in Venezuela at the same time.
The New York Times reported on Friday that Trump and Maduro had a conversation about a possible US summit.
According to the newspaper, there are no current plans for a meeting between Maduro and a US president if it were to occur, citing multiple sources with knowledge of the matter.
According to Newman, Al Jazeera’s Latin America editor, Trump is “going hot and cold” in terms of Venezuela.
She continued, “The fear that is being raised is the fear that will be raised,” even though Trump’s statement on Saturday was “an escalation… on paper.”
You’re sending a very, very aggressive message when you advise airlines to avoid Venezuela and when you state that the airspace has been closed. She said, “It’s entirely a question of how this will turn out.”
Last week, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a warning to airlines about a “potentially hazardous situation” resulting from “a worsening security situation and heightened military activity” in Venezuelan airspace.
Then, six South American airlines, which handle the majority of travel, suspended flights to Venezuela.
Caracas criticized the businesses for “joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States” and suspended their operating rights.
Scorched earth’s policy
Former US ambassador to Venezuela, Charles Shapiro, claimed that Trump’s announcement on Saturday “ups the pressure on Maduro.”
According to Shapiro, “Maduro would have to leave the country,” according to Shapiro. “Undoubtedly, what the United States government [and] President Trump want is for him to do that.”
He continued, “Maduro’s real intention is to be removed,” despite the Trump administration’s claims that its actions are part of a push to stop US drug trafficking.”
Francisco Rodriguez, a senior research fellow at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a think tank based in the US, also expressed concern about the impact of Trump’s policies on Venezuelans.
Rodriguez wrote on X, “Scorched Earth” is a statement about Saturday’s announcement, which shows that the nation has been dealing with widespread poverty, unemployment, and mass outward migration for years.
