Dismisses That His Announcement of Closing Venezuelan Airspace Is a Prelude to Military Intervention
US President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he had a phone conversation last week with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, although he declined to provide details.
“I don’t want to comment on it. The answer is yes,” he responded when questioned about the call, which was reported by several US media outlets.
“I wouldn’t say it was good or bad. It was a phone call,” he added. The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal had reported on the conversation.
Trump also addressed his Saturday social media post announcing that he was “closing” Venezuelan airspace, which was interpreted as a possible indication of a US attack.
However, Trump rejected this interpretation. “Don’t jump to conclusions,” he said. The warning stems from the fact that “we don’t consider Venezuela to be a very friendly country.”
Trump declared that the airspace “over” Venezuela “and its surrounding areas” is now completely “closed,” taking another step toward a possible ground invasion of the country. This comes in the same week that the US president spoke openly about his intention to enter Venezuelan territory to begin arresting drug traffickers, especially given the buildup of US military forces in the region.
“To all airlines, pilots, drug traffickers, and human smugglers: Please consider that the airspace over Venezuela and its surrounding areas will remain closed in its entirety,” the US president announced on his Truth Social platform.
