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The president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, announced this Friday the complete closure of airspace over and around Venezuela, in a move that escalates regional tensions to the maximum and marks a new chapter in the confrontation with the regime of Nicolás Maduro.
In a message posted on his social media, Trump directed the order "to all airlines, pilots, drug traffickers, and human traffickers," warning that Venezuelan airspace "must be considered closed in its entirety."
The instruction, written in capital letters, was interpreted as a direct military warning to both civil aviation and illicit operations related to drug trafficking and human trafficking in the region.
The message from the U.S. president has been received by international analysts as a possible prelude to military actions against the Chavista regime, given that a total closure of airspace is a measure that often precedes military operations or strategic air blockades.
In the current context—marked by the increased naval and aerial presence of the United States in the Caribbean—the warning can be interpreted as a preparatory phase for the total isolation of Venezuela, aimed at cutting off supply routes, drug trafficking, and international support for Maduro's government.
The closure of airspace could impact commercial flights connecting Caribbean and South American countries, and represents one of the most severe measures taken by Washington since the beginning of its offensive against the Cartel de los Soles.
Analysts believe that the presidential order represents a peak of military and political pressure on Venezuela, amid the increasing mobilization of U.S. forces in the Caribbean and the nervousness of the Chavista regime in the face of a potential more decisive action.
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