Khaberni - Colombian President Gustavo Petro, today, Sunday, criticized the announcement by US President Donald Trump that the airspace over Venezuela is "completely closed," emphasizing that there was no authorization from the United Nations Security Council or permission from the US Congress for any military intervention.
Petro stated in remarks amid escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas, that the closure of Venezuelan airspace is "illegal and warrants an urgent meeting to condemn it" at the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Trump had urged, on Saturday, airlines and pilots to treat the skies over Venezuela as "closed", coinciding with the deployment of substantial US forces in the Caribbean, described by Venezuela as a "colonial threat" and a blatant violation of its sovereignty.
Unilateral Action
Caracas responded with a strongly-worded statement, asserting that its airspace is "protected by standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization" and that it will not accept any threats or foreign intervention. It also considered Trump's statement "a unilateral and hostile action" that comes as part of "a policy of ongoing attack" on Venezuela.
The Venezuelan foreign ministry clarified that the U.S. military actions are a threat to the Caribbean and northern South America, calling on the United Nations and sovereign nations to not remain silent.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil said Trump's speech reflects "colonial aspirations" and represents "a threat to the sovereignty of another country", affirming that his country will continue to fully exercise sovereignty over its airspace.
Flight Suspensions
The US warnings to civil aviation about the "deterioration of the security situation" in Venezuela resulted in six major South American airlines suspending their flights to and from Caracas, angering the Venezuelan government, which revoked the licenses of those companies.
This coincided with US military operations targeting more than 20 ships in the Caribbean and the Pacific under the pretext of combating drug smuggling, resulting in the deaths of more than 80 people, amid international accusations of Washington carrying out "extrajudicial killings".
On the other hand, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered his air forces to increase readiness, mobilizing 4.5 million personnel in anticipation of any possible attack.
Commenting on these developments, Democratic Senator Tim Kaine warned of the dangers of sliding into a widespread US military operation in Venezuela, confirming that recent developments would push Congress to act to impose restrictions on President Donald Trump's powers to declare war without its consent.
Kaine said in an interview with "CBS" that the US military mobilization around Venezuela and the escalation in official rhetoric have changed the calculations within the Senate, noting that he and his colleagues would reintroduce a resolution to limit any military action without Congressional authorization.
Kaine added that the speeding pace of events and the revelation of dangerous orders, like the one reported by The Washington Post about an alleged order from Defense Secretary Pete Heigseth to kill everyone on board a boat suspected of drug trafficking, would increase Senate support for attempts to curb executive power, according to him.
Kaine described these orders, if true, as a clear violation of the laws of war and could amount to war crimes, criticizing what he considered a lack of transparency regarding the legal basis for the maritime strikes carried out by US forces in the Caribbean and the Pacific. He revealed that secret legal briefings seen by Congress members were not convincing.
This escalation comes amid increasing tension between Washington and Caracas, and renewed discussions about the possibility of a direct meeting between Trump and Maduro, according to American media reports, despite the exchange of accusations and continued military escalation.
