Trump says Venezuela airspace should be considered closed in its entirety

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered closed "in its entirety."

The remarks were made amid heightening tensions in the relations between the United States and Venezuela. The New York Times reported on Friday that Trump and Maduro spoke by phone last week, discussing the possibility of an in-person meeting in the United States, though no arrangements have been made.

Last week, the U.S. aviation regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration, issued a warning to major airlines flying over Venezuela, highlighting dangers from a "potentially hazardous situation" due to a "worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around" the South American country.