Venezuela denounces Trump’s airspace remarks as ‘colonialist threat’

Caracas has denounced United States President Donald Trump’s announcement that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela is to be considered closed “in its entirety”, as tensions between the countries escalate.

In a statement on Saturday afternoon, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said Trump’s statement earlier in the day amounts to a “colonialist threat”.

“Venezuela denounces and condemns the colonialist threat that seeks to affect the sovereignty of its airspace, constituting yet another extravagant, illegal and unjustified aggression against the Venezuelan people,” the ministry said.

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