AfriPulse
Venezuela has rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement ordering the closure of the airspace above and around the country, saying the United States has no legal right to give such instructions.
In a statement on Saturday, the Venezuelan government called Trump’s message “illegal, aggressive and a violation of international law.”
The government said the U.S. cannot control Venezuelan territory or aviation space and accused the U.S. of trying to threaten the country’s sovereignty.
Trump had, in a post on Truth Social, told “airlines, pilots, drug dealers and human traffickers” to consider Venezuelan airspace completely closed.
Venezuela said the comment is a hostile act that breaks the United Nations Charter, which forbids threats or the use of force against another country.
The statement also said international aviation rules, including the 1944 Chicago Convention and the International Civil Aviation Organisation, clearly state that every country has full control over the air above its territory.
Venezuela warned it will not accept “orders, threats or interference from any foreign power.” It also accused the U.S. of blocking humanitarian repatriation flights under the Return to the Homeland Plan, saying nearly 14,000 Venezuelans have so far returned through the program.
They appealed to the United Nations and other world governments to condemn what it called an attack on peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Trump’s declaration comes as the United States deployed the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier and about 15,000 troops to the Caribbean.
The U.S. military has recently carried out more than 20 strikes on boats it claims were carrying drugs, killing over 80 people. Critics say the actions may break international law.
The U.S. has also named the ‘Cartel de los Soles’ as a terrorist organisation, accusing President Nicolás Maduro and other top officials of being involved in drug trafficking.
Venezuela denied the claim.
Meanwhile, Cuba has expressed support for Venezuela, accusing the U.S. of using electromagnetic interference and psychological pressure in the Caribbean in an attempt to remove Maduro from power.
Cuba said the movement of U.S. warships is a direct threat to countries in the region.
Omar Hassaan Farinas, a lecturer at the Bolivarian University of Venezuela, told Al Jazeera that the airspace order is “open aggression against the Venezuelan people,” saying ordinary citizens will suffer the most from flight suspensions and economic pressure.
On the flip side, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham praised Trump’s actions, saying Maduro leads a “narco-terrorist state” and that strong measures are necessary to stop drug trafficking into the United States.
Source: TheWhistler | Read the Full Story…
