Former US President Donald Trump on Saturday toughened his stance regarding Venezuela. He warned that the entire airspace over Venezuela should be considered “closed”. According to available information, in the last few months the US has carried out several deadly attacks against alleged drug smuggling in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific, after which suspicions have increased that Washington is preparing for a major military operation in Venezuela.
Trump has given this warning at a time when a few days ago the US Aviation Authority had advised airlines to be cautious in flights around Venezuela, after which many big airlines temporarily stopped their operations. Let us tell you that Trump has claimed that efforts to “stop the ground” drug smuggling through Venezuela will also be started very soon.
“All airlines, pilots, drug dealers and human smugglers are advised to consider the airspace over and around Venezuela completely closed,” he wrote in his Truth Social post. It is noteworthy that the Trump administration has been increasing the pressure of action on Venezuela’s ‘Cartel de los Solace’ for a long time and has declared it a foreign terrorist organization. Whereas Caracas says that this allegation is just an excuse for intervention.
According to Bloomberg report, military presence in the region has been increased as part of the American strategy. The US has deployed an aircraft carrier and several warships and has also intensified military-level talks with several countries in the Caribbean. It is said that Trump claims that this entire network runs under the patronage of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, although Venezuela has been completely disagreeing on this.
The Venezuelan government has called this increasing military activity a “colonial threat”. The Maduro administration has imposed sanctions on six companies, including Turkish Airlines, calling Trump’s warning “hostile”. They argue that these airlines have become involved in American “state-sponsored terrorist acts.” The government said such statements were an “open threat of the use of force” and that Venezuela would not accept any external interference.
Meanwhile, Maduro has appealed to the citizens that if necessary, they should not shy away from sacrificing their lives to protect the country. However, normal life still seems to be going on in the capital Caracas. There is a rush in the markets due to Christmas and Black Friday, while on the other hand, some supply related problems have also come to light. Let us tell you that meanwhile, the country’s government oil company is continuing its activities and foreign companies like Chevron are also producing on a limited scale.
On Saturday, the Venezuelan army conducted maneuvers in coastal areas, footage of which was shown on state TV. The government also said that due to tension in the airspace, migrant flights returning from the US could also be stopped, which is part of a major plan of the Trump administration.
According to current information, at least 83 people have died so far in the American anti-narcotics operation that started in September. The US has not yet provided clear evidence that the targeted ships were actually involved in drug smuggling. Many experts describe these as extrajudicial killings—even if the targets were criminals. Meanwhile, as part of his strategy, Trump has also announced pardon to the former President of Honduras, who is serving a long sentence in a cocaine smuggling case, that too just two days before elections are to be held there.
All these developments have raised the tension in the region to a new height and it is believed that the situation may become more serious in the coming days as political and military rhetoric is continuously increasing on both sides. This current conflict between Venezuela and America is raising serious questions for regional stability and human rights, on which the eyes of the world are fixed.
Regional experts believe that if this conflict turns violent, the geopolitical scenario of the Caribbean may become more complex, signs of which are already visible. Considering the seriousness of the situation, the international community is also keeping a close eye on it and is hoping for a diplomatic solution.