BEIJING, Dec. 1 — U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks on the closure of Venezuelan airspace have sparked condemnation wide for endangering global air travel security, regional stability and peace.
Trump said in a post on social media Saturday that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered to be closed “in its entirety.”
His remarks came after Washington had strengthened its military buildup in the Caribbean Sea on the grounds of “fighting drug trafficking.”
Amid escalating tensions between the two countries, Trump confirmed on Sunday a phone call with his Venezuelan counterpart, without revealing any details of their conversation.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who had denied any involvement in drug dealing, sent a letter to Haitham Al Ghaism, secretary general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, warning that the U.S. military threat in the Caribbean could jeopardize global energy market stability.
Venezuela, claiming that Washington has been seeking regime change in the South American country and the control of its vast oil reserves, vowed in a government statement on Saturday to respond with legality and dignity.
President of Venezuela’s National Assembly Jorge Rodriguez said on state television Sunday that they would form a special commission to investigate the U.S. military’s deadly attacks on the alleged “drug trafficking boats” off the Venezuelan coast and in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Trump’s latest remarks, the recent U.S. military buildup and attacks on these boats in the Caribbean have raised concern and ignited criticism from regional governments for potential risks to peace and stability.
The Colombian foreign ministry said in a statement that the U.S. move to close Venezuelan airspace is creating “unnecessary tension” and undermining Latin America’s stability.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro urged Trump to “go back to respecting the international legal order” in a post on social media on Sunday.
Petro also called on Latin American countries to demand respect for regional sovereignty, stressing that only Venezuelans have the right to choose their government.
On Saturday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez warned of “persistent electromagnetic interference” caused by the United States in the Caribbean region, particularly affecting Venezuela’s airspace.
“It is part of an escalation of military aggression and psychological warfare” against the Venezuelan territory, aiming to “forcibly overthrow the legitimate government” of Venezuela and endangering stability across the Caribbean, said Rodriguez.
Political and social organizations in the Dominican Republic, including the left-wing Broad Front party, issued a joint statement on Sunday, slamming Washington for closing the Venezuelan airspace, turning the Caribbean into a venue for its military experiment, and harming the safety of air travel and people’s lives.
Trump’s statement is a blatant violation of international norms and fundamental rules of international law, including those governing international air transport, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in a statement on Sunday.
He denounced the move as an “arbitrary act and an unprecedented threat” to the safety and security of international aviation.
Since early September, the United States has carried out more than 20 military strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing over 80 people.
Its military presence was further enhanced in mid-November with the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, a major aircraft carrier, to a level unseen in at least three decades. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
