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Venezuela’s civil aviation authority said Wednesday it has banned several major airlines, including Turkish Airlines, after they suspended operations in response to U.S. warnings about increased military activity in the region.
The affected carriers, Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP, Colombia’s Avianca, Chile and Brazil’s LATAM, Brazil’s GOL, and Turkish Airlines, will have their operational permits revoked for “joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government and unilaterally suspending commercial air operations,” the authority said in a post on Instagram.
The announcement followed a warning from Washington about heightened military activity in the Caribbean.
The United States said the deployment, which includes an aircraft carrier strike group, stealth aircraft, and other Navy warships, is aimed at countering drug trafficking. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, however, insists the U.S. presence is intended to overthrow his government.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last week urged civilian aircraft to “exercise caution” while flying over Venezuelan airspace due to “worsening security conditions and increased military activity.”
In response, Turkish Airlines canceled flights to Caracas from Nov. 24 to 28, 2025. The airline stated that service from Istanbul to Havana would continue and that passengers affected by the suspension in Caracas would be rerouted via Bogota, Panama, Cancun, Mexico City, or Havana.
Following the suspensions, the Venezuelan Ministry of Transport warned airlines that they would lose their permits if they did not resume service within 48 hours.
The deadline, delivered during a Monday meeting with airline representatives, expired at noon on Wednesday. All affected carriers maintained the suspension, according to Spain’s EFE news agency.
The flight cancellations have disrupted service for more than 8,000 passengers across at least 40 flights, according to the Venezuelan Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (AVAVIT).
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Tensions between Washington and Caracas have escalated sharply in recent months. U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the Caribbean military deployment in August, linking it to operations against drug cartels and alleged trafficking routes tied to the Maduro government, a claim Venezuela denies, calling it a pretext for regime change.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez condemned the U.S. actions, labeling the United States “one of the most destructive empires in human history.”
He warned that Venezuela would respond “with its head held high.”
Since September, the U.S. military has carried out 21 strikes on vessels it claimed were involved in narcotics trafficking, resulting in the deaths of 83 people—actions critics say lack legal justification.
Trump has also suggested that the alleged drug-trafficking infrastructure inside Venezuela could become a direct target.
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