Colombia responds to Trump and says Venezuelan airspace is open

The Venezuelan airspace is “open and operating”, without restrictions affecting aircraft safety, said the Colombian Civil Aviation Authority on Sunday night (30). The agency stated that there were “statements issued by a third state that does not have jurisdiction or sovereign authority over Venezuelan airspace” that were not coordinated with the country’s aeronautical authority. This part of the statement refers to Donald Trump’s remarks on Saturday (29) that airlines should consider Venezuelan airspace closed. “These statements, which are outside the international regulatory framework, lack operational validity and generate confusion within the civil aviation system,” said the Colombian aeronautical authority.