Commercial flights to Caracas remained on schedule Saturday despite US President Donald Trump's unilateral call for airspace restrictions over Venezuela, a move widely seen as part of Washington’s continued campaign to isolate the sovereign Latin American nation.

Data from multiple airlines and international airports confirmed that several commercial carriers continued service to Caracas airport, disregarding Trump’s demand that the airspace above Venezuela be treated as closed.

Among the airlines flying to Venezuela were Turkish Airlines, operating from Havana, Copa Airlines from Panama, and Wingo from Bogotá. These carriers showed no signs of compliance with Washington’s directive, reaffirming international recognition of Venezuela’s air sovereignty and open skies.

Trump’s airspace statement lacks legal basis

President Trump issued the unexpected statement earlier in the day, advising air carriers to consider Venezuelan airspace closed, without offering any legal justification or official policy update. 

He wrote on Truth Social: "To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY."

This statement follows his remarks two days earlier, on November 27, when he warned that US operations against alleged Venezuelan drug trafficking "by land" would begin very soon. 

Venezuela stands firm amid US provocations

This latest episode comes in the context of heightened US interference in Latin America, with Trump's Venezuela strategy increasingly seen as a mix of economic coercion, disinformation, and military posturing. From labeling Venezuela’s armed forces as drug traffickers to attempting to close its skies, Washington’s actions are perceived as deliberate attempts to undermine Venezuelan stability.

Despite these provocations, Venezuela continues to operate as a sovereign state with fully functional civil aviation infrastructure, maintaining commercial and diplomatic ties with much of the world. 

The uninterrupted flights to Caracas serve as a quiet but clear rebuke of Washington's latest unilateral move. International airlines and the global aviation community appear to recognize that decisions regarding Venezuelan airspace lie not with the United States, but with Venezuela itself.

Read more: Bipartisan pushback grows against Venezuela military action