WASHINGTON — Venezuela has condemned US President Donald Trump’s declaration that airlines and pilots should consider the airspace above the country “closed,” calling the statement a “colonialist threat” and an “illegal and unjustified aggression.”

Caracas said the US had no legal authority to restrict another nation’s airspace and accused Washington of escalating efforts to destabilize President Nicolás Maduro’s government.

The foreign ministry urged the UN, sovereign nations, and international bodies to reject what it described as Trump’s “immoral act of aggression,” warning that the comments formed part of a broader US pressure campaign.

Trump’s post on Truth Social — directed at airlines, pilots, drug traffickers and human traffickers — came amid heightened US military activity near Venezuela.

The United States has deployed the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier and about 15,000 troops to the region in what it says is a counter-narcotics operation.

At least 21 US strikes on vessels alleged to be carrying drugs have killed more than 80 people, though Washington has not provided evidence to support the claims.

Venezuela’s government maintains that the US deployment is an attempt to topple Maduro, whose re-election last year was denounced as fraudulent by the opposition and several Western governments.

Trump’s remarks have also drawn criticism inside the United States. Senior Democrats and Republicans warned that the administration had not sought congressional authorization for any potential military action.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump’s “reckless actions” risked pushing the country toward “another costly foreign war,” while Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene reminded the White House that “Congress has the sole power to declare war.”

The US Federal Aviation Administration had already warned airlines of increased military activity around Venezuela, prompting several carriers to suspend flights. Venezuela responded by revoking take-off and landing rights.

Caracas has since conducted military exercises along its coastline, broadcasting images of artillery and anti-aircraft systems on state television.

The US also recently designated the Cartel de los Soles — which it alleges is linked to Maduro — as a foreign terrorist organization, giving Washington broader powers to target it. Venezuela has rejected the designation as baseless. — Agencies