Venezuela has sharply criticized a recent warning, labeling it as a “colonialist threat” and describing it as the latest “extravagant, illegal, and unjustified aggression against the Venezuelan people.”

In an escalation of tensions, President Trump announced earlier this week that initiatives aimed at curbing Venezuelan drug trafficking “by land” would commence “very soon.”

This announcement provoked a strong reaction from Caracas, prompting the Venezuelan government to prohibit several airlines—including Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP, Colombia’s Avianca, Chile and Brazil’s LATAM, Brazil’s GOL, and Turkish Airlines—from operating in the country. Venezuela accused these companies of “participating in state terrorism actions promoted by the United States government.”

Venezuela air travel disruptions

The move infuriated Caracas and led it to ban the companies — Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP, Colombia’s Avianca, Chile and Brazil’s LATAM, Brazil’s GOL and Turkish Airlines — for “joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government.”