Colombian President Gustavo Petro firmly rejected the United States’ decision to impose a closure on Venezuela’s airspace, stating that Washington “has no right to close Venezuelan airspace.” According to Petro, the US may impose restrictions on its own airlines, “but not with international airlines.”

While emphasizing that such measures are unilateral and violate international norms, Petro announced that Colombia would resume civil aviation service with Venezuela, and called on other countries to follow suit.

Highlighting the need for diplomatic engagement, Petro stressed that “this is a time for dialogue, not barbarism,” urging nations to prioritize communication over coercive tactics.

Airspace 'dispute' to be resolved through legal mechanisms 

US President Donald Trump urged all airlines on November 29 to treat Venezuelan airspace as closed, a directive that exceeded existing FAA advisories and raised concerns internationally about whether the United States was attempting to impose an extraterritorial restriction on another nation’s sovereign skies.

Governments and legal bodies condemned the move. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Monday that the world body expects all governments to handle airspace disputes through established international legal mechanisms, stressing that issues involving flight safety and sovereignty must be resolved peacefully.

"I mean, we've seen the reports about the airspace, and I can tell you ... that we call for the full respect ... of states' obligations under international law, including the Charter and all other applicable legal frameworks, as well as the use of existing mechanisms to address any issue, including these issues, peacefully, ensuring the safety and security and connectivity of international civil aviation," Dujarric told journalists. 

Dujarric added that political declarations do not override aviation procedures, noting that decisions on airspace management must be directed to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). When asked whether the UN had requested further clarification from Washington, he replied, "We don't have any further details. Our friends in ICAO are taking the lead on that. Our staff remains in Venezuela."

Meanwhile, Venezuela denounced the US statement as a violation of its territorial rights and accused Washington of issuing "a threat of the use of force." Caracas called on both the UN and ICAO to condemn the move, stressing that only Venezuelan authorities, in line with international aviation law, can determine the status of the country's skies.

Read more: Caracas accuses US of airspace blockade at request of opposition