The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning Friday urging commercial flights to "exercise extreme caution" when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean, marking another step in its strategy to instill fear in the region as it cracks down on Venezuela.
Amid Washington's military deployment in the Caribbean, the warning refers to "a potentially dangerous situation in the region."
According to the statement, cited by international media, the alert focuses on the Maiquetía Flight Information Region. "Operators are advised to exercise extreme caution when operating in the Maiquetía Flight Information Region at all altitudes due to the deteriorating security situation and increased military activity in and around Venezuela," the statement specifies.
Furthermore, the agency stated that the threats could pose "a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight, and the arrival and departure phases of flight." It added that the risk could also affect airports and aircraft on the ground in the region.
This notice is given after the USS Gerald Ford's arrival in the Caribbean, the largest US aircraft carrier, to expand the military deployment that the Pentagon has maintained in the region since last August.
Washington has justified its actions under the pretext of fighting drug trafficking, attacking small boats and leaving more than 80 people dead, without verifying their alleged links to criminal organizations.
For their part, Venezuelan authorities have denounced the threat of this military deployment in the region to several international institutions, asserting that the main objective of this aggression is a change of government and the appropriation of the nation's wealth.
