U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday declared on social media that the airspace above and around Venezuela should be "closed in its entirety," drawing strong condemnation from multiple countries. His comment comes days after U.S. aviation regulators told airlines to exercise increased caution near Venezuela amid mounting tensions, prompting multiple major carriers to suspend flights, according to the AFP.

However,  Venezuelan airline flights continue to take off from the Simón Bolívar International Airport, known locally as Maiquetia Airport. The Venezuelan foreign ministry denounced Trump's remarks as "a new extravagant, illegal, and unjustified aggression against the people of Venezuela."