By Kristen Holmes, Alejandra Jaramillo and Stefano Pozzebon, CNN
Photo: AFP / Brendan Smialowski
The United States has continued its pressure campaign against Venezuela, as President Donald Trump issued a broad directive on social media, warning airlines, pilots and criminal networks to avoid Venezuelan airspace.
"Please consider the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed in its entirety," he wrote in a Truth Social post.
The announcement marks the latest turn of the wheel as the Trump administration intensifies its efforts to force Venezuelan President NicolΓ‘s Maduro out of office. Officially, the Trump administration says it is working to cut down on illegal flows of migrants and drugs - but regime change is a possible side effect of those efforts.
Venezuela's foreign minister denounced Trump's Saturday (local time) directive, calling it a "colonialist threat" that constitutes an
Continue Reading on RNZ
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.