Trump ramps up Venezuela threats, warns airspace 'closed'

U.S. President Donald Trump sharply escalated his threats against Venezuela on Saturday with an ominous warning that the country's airspace should be considered "closed," raising fears of imminent military action.

Caracas, which views a large U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean as a pressure campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro, slammed Trump's warning as a "colonialist threat."

"To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers," Trump wrote on social media, "please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY."

He did not elaborate, but after months of deadly U.S. strikes on alleged drug-running boats, speculation is mounting that Washington may launch some sort of military operation on Venezuelan soil.

Trump's warning comes days after U.S. aviation regulators told airlines to use increased caution near Venezuela over the mounting tensions, prompting multiple major carriers to suspend flights.

Maduro's government then issued a ban on the airlines for "joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government."

A statement by the Venezuelan foreign ministry called the U.S. president's latest remarks a "new extravagant, illegal, and unjustified aggression against the people of Venezuela."

It warned that the airspace disruptions would also mean a halt to repatriation flights of Venezuelan migrants from the United States, a key Trump administration initiative.

Venezuela's military on Saturday also conducted exercises along coastal areas, with video broadcast on state TV showing anti-aircraft weapons and other artillery being maneuvered.

AFP