Maduro: US 'fabricating a new eternal war' in Venezuela

Trump declares Venezuelan airspace closed following controversial US strikes that have killed 83 people since September (Symbolic image - AI generated) Upday Stock Images

US President Donald Trump declared the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela "closed in its entirety" in a Truth Social post on Saturday. The announcement targets airlines, pilots, drug dealers, and human traffickers, escalating tensions amid an ongoing US military campaign that has killed over 80 people in strikes against alleged drug trafficking boats.

Trump's declaration follows a warning last week from the US Federal Aviation Administration to major airlines about a «potentially hazardous situation» over Venezuela due to a «worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around» the country. Venezuela responded by revoking operating rights for six major international airlines including Iberia, Turkish Airlines, and LATAM.

The airspace closure comes as the US has deployed massive military assets to the Caribbean, including the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier with more than 4,000 sailors, F-35C stealth fighters, nuclear submarines, and thousands of troops stationed in Puerto Rico. Analysts estimate total US personnel in the region at around 12,700.

Controversial "Kill Everyone" Order

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth faces allegations of issuing an illegal order to «kill everyone» aboard a boat during the first strike in September, which killed 11 people. According to military experts cited by The Washington Post, a second missile was fired after survivors were spotted in the water, killing them in what experts described as «amounts to murder».

Hegseth denied the reporting on X, calling it «fabricated, inflammatory and derogatory». He stated the strikes were «specifically intended to be "lethal, kinetic strikes"» and claimed «Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization». Former military lawyer Todd Huntley told The Washington Post that an order to give no quarter would constitute a war crime.

The Pentagon estimated US forces have launched missiles on at least 22 boats since September, with current and former officials estimating over 80 deaths. The UK has reportedly ceased sharing intelligence on Venezuelan boats due to concerns about the legality of the strikes under international law.

Military Escalation and Maduro Response

Trump told service members on Thanksgiving that the US would expand efforts with land strikes against drug traffickers «very soon». He warned: «We warn them: Stop sending poison to our country.»

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has led the country since 2013, accused the US of «fabricating a new eternal war» and increasing «excuses and lies» to justify intervention. The Trump administration has accused Maduro of leading the Cartel de los Soles criminal network, which Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization earlier this month.

The New York Times reported Friday that Trump and Maduro spoke by phone last week, discussing a potential meeting. Latin American leaders, international law experts, family members of the deceased, and some members of the US Congress have described the US strikes as extrajudicial killings, claiming most casualties were fishermen rather than drug traffickers.

Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).