Venezuela condemns US 'colonial-style' threat to national airspace
Venezuela denounces recent US threats to its airspace as illegal and colonial. Citing international law, Caracas defends its sovereignty and urges global rejection of Washington's aggression.
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U.S. F-35 fighter jets fly over José Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, Friday, September 19, 2025 (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has strongly condemned recent statements by the United States regarding its airspace, blasting them as a “colonial-style threat” and an act of “extravagant, illegal, and unjustified aggression.” The Venezuelan government warned that such rhetoric aims to undermine its sovereignty and violates international law.
In a formal communiqué released on Saturday, Venezuelan authorities rejected a series of social media posts attributed to the US executive branch that attempt to impose extraterritorial control over Venezuela’s civil aviation and national skies.
“These declarations constitute a hostile, unilateral, and arbitrary act,” the government stated, citing Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.
#Communique | Venezuela denounces and condemns the colonialist threat that seeks to affect the sovereignty of its airspace, constituting a new extravagant, illegal and unjustified aggression against the people of Venezuela.
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) November 29, 2025
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela repudiates with… pic.twitter.com/t4l7gknwEJ
US orders violate international law
The Venezuelan government reaffirmed that its sovereignty over national airspace is protected under international law, including the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, ratified by 193 countries, the US among them.
Article 1 of the Convention states: “Every State has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory.”
This principle is also upheld by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN body responsible for global aviation standards. Venezuela emphasized that no foreign power, including the United States, has any legal authority to restrict or dictate its airspace usage.
“We will not accept orders, threats, or interference from any foreign power," the statement declared, adding, “Only Venezuela’s constitutional institutions hold authority over our national skies.”
Humanitarian flights pressured to stop
The diplomatic rebuke comes amid reports that Washington pressured international airlines to suspend flights tied to “Plan Vuelta a la Patria” (Return to the Homeland Plan), a humanitarian initiative launched by Venezuela to repatriate stranded citizens.
Since its inception, the program has returned nearly 13,956 Venezuelans through 75 coordinated flights. According to the government, these individuals, displaced by regional crises and economic coercion, have been received with “love and absolute solidarity.”
Broader regional struggle against hegemony
Venezuelan officials framed the issue not as an isolated disagreement, but as part of a historic pattern of US imperialism in Latin America. Caracas warned that Washington’s rhetoric poses a threat to regional peace and security, and reflects a “permanent policy of aggression” rooted in colonial-era attitudes.
The confrontation also comes at a time when Venezuela is strengthening ties with Russia, China, and Iran, and playing a leading role in regional alliances such as CELAC and ALBA-TCP. Analysts argue that the airspace threats may be aimed at disrupting these alternative power blocs.
Across the Global South, many governments view unilateral US declarations, particularly regarding airspace, as a violation of multilateral norms.
Venezuela calls on international community to respond
Caracas has formally appealed to the United Nations, sovereign governments, and multilateral institutions to reject what it calls an “immoral act of aggression.” The government vowed to defend its skies with “dignity, legality, and the full strength granted by international law.”
“This is not just about flights, it’s about the right of a people to exist free from foreign dictates,” a Caracas-based analyst told local media. “When a superpower tries to control your skies, it’s really trying to control your destiny,” the analyst stated.
Venezuela reaffirmed its commitment to the peaceful, sovereign, and lawful use of its airspace and warned that any future interference will be met with all diplomatic and legal tools available.
Read more: US military presence in Caribbean aims to isolate region: Colombia FM