In a move that has sparked outrage in Venezuela, US President Donald Trump said that the country's airspace should be viewed as closed to commercial flights.
The comment was made during an appearance at the annual meeting of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), where Trump discussed various aviation-related issues. According to sources close to him, Trump stated that he is "considering" imposing restrictions on Venezuela's airspace due to what he described as "serious concerns" over the country's handling of commercial flights.
However, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro swiftly responded to the comments, accusing Trump of making a "colonial threat" and trying to undermine his country's sovereignty. "It's unacceptable that this president has made such statements," Maduro said in a statement. "We will not be threatened by any foreign leader."
The US State Department has yet to issue an official response to Trump's comment, but officials have confirmed that the US is monitoring the situation closely.
The move comes as tensions between the US and Venezuela have been escalating in recent months. The two countries have had a strained relationship since the US imposed sanctions on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government earlier this year.
It's not clear whether Trump's comments will actually lead to any concrete action, but they have already sent shockwaves through the aviation industry and beyond.
The comment was made during an appearance at the annual meeting of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), where Trump discussed various aviation-related issues. According to sources close to him, Trump stated that he is "considering" imposing restrictions on Venezuela's airspace due to what he described as "serious concerns" over the country's handling of commercial flights.
However, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro swiftly responded to the comments, accusing Trump of making a "colonial threat" and trying to undermine his country's sovereignty. "It's unacceptable that this president has made such statements," Maduro said in a statement. "We will not be threatened by any foreign leader."
The US State Department has yet to issue an official response to Trump's comment, but officials have confirmed that the US is monitoring the situation closely.
The move comes as tensions between the US and Venezuela have been escalating in recent months. The two countries have had a strained relationship since the US imposed sanctions on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government earlier this year.
It's not clear whether Trump's comments will actually lead to any concrete action, but they have already sent shockwaves through the aviation industry and beyond.
I mean, isn't Venezuela a sovereign country? Shouldn't we be supporting their right to govern themselves instead of trying to dictate what they can and can't do with their own airspace? It's just so frustrating when politicians think they're above the law. My kid would know that if someone is being unfair or trying to bully them, you should stand up for yourself and your rights... same principle applies here 
. And what about all the people who live in Venezuela, they need to travel too 
. I mean I know tensions between the two countries have been high but does Trump really think this is gonna make a difference? It feels like more of the same old politics and posturing 
...
Venezuela has been going through so much turmoil in recent years, and now a comment from a US president that could potentially disrupt their economy even more? it's like, one thing Trump wants to be seen as tough on Venezuela, but this move feels kinda petty and unnecessary. what are the "serious concerns" he's got? is it just because they're not flying in American planes or something? 
it's always like, a country can't even have its own airspace without someone else making a scene about it. Maduro's right to call it out as a colonial threat though - this kind of thing feels like old-school imperialism and we shouldn't be surprised that Trump is down with that 
this is just a classic case of the us trying 2 exert its influence over another country, but honestly who cares? 
Maduro's got a point tho when he calls it a "colonial threat" - sounds pretty accurate 2 me. anyway, this whole thing's gonna blow over eventually, hopefully before any actual flights get grounded or somethin 
. Plus, Maduro's response about a colonial threat seems pretty valid, but it's also kinda rich coming from the guy who's always whining about US interference in his country's affairs 
It's always good to talk things out instead of making public statements that might escalate things. What do you think will happen next? 
That's a huge deal! I'm all about countries having control over their own skies, you know? 
And the US is all... well, we're monitoring it. 
Not sure what's gonna happen next, but one thing's for sure: this is gonna cause some serious ripples in the aviation world! 
just heard about this - I'm like totally against it! 
Venezuela's airspace is like a big deal, everyone needs to travel for business or whatever 
This is super worrying, what if it causes a huge economic mess 
? I mean, Trump said it's because of "serious concerns" but honestly, shouldn't we be talking about this stuff with Maduro instead of just saying it's closed off? 
Not sure what's gonna happen next, but my gut tells me this is gonna cause some major issues 
.
They're always talking about how great their economy is, but now they're all mad because Maduro isn't playing by their rules? 
It's like they think they own the place. Newsflash: you don't, buddy!