On November 24, the Trump administration labeled the so-called “Cartel of the Sun” as a terrorist organization, fabricating a link between it and the Venezuelan government., as a terrorist organization. It also pressured President Nicolás Maduro to step down and allow a “democratic transition” in Venezuela.
The Venezuelan government dismissed the claim, stating that the “Cartel of the Sun” does not even exist.
Meanwhile, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), citing rising tensions caused by the Trump administration’s military pressure, issued an airspace advisory for airlines flying over Venezuelan airspace.
As a result, at least six airlines—including those from Spain, Portugal, and Türkiye—sequentially suspended flights to Venezuela. Türkiye Airlines suspended its Venezuela routes from the 24th to the 28th.
Marisela de Loaiza, head of the Venezuelan Airlines Association, stated that after the FAA advisory, Spain’s Iberia Airlines, Portugal’s TAP Air, Chile’s LATAM Airlines, Colombia’s Avianca, and Brazil’s GOL Airlines halted flights to Venezuela. The airlines did not specify when operations would resume.
There is speculation that the FAA advisory may have been issued in advance of a US military operation.
