WASHINGTON: The US aviation regulator issued a renewed warning on Tuesday to civilian aircraft operating in Venezuelan airspace, citing the dangers of military activity.
The Federal Aviation Administration urged aircraft to “exercise caution” due to the “worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela” — the same wording used in a previous warning issued last month.
The new warning came days after a pilot for JetBlue said his aircraft came close to colliding with a US Air Force refueling plane near Venezuela — an incident the airline said it had reported to American authorities.
The United States has amassed a huge flotilla of warships in the Caribbean and has repeatedly flown military aircraft along Venezuela’s coast as Washington seeks to pressure leftist leader Nicolas Maduro to leave power.
Washington accuses Maduro of leading the alleged “Cartel of the Suns,” which it declared a “narco-terrorist” organization last month, and has offered a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture.
US forces have also carried out a series of strikes targeting alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific — a months-long campaign that has left at least 95 people dead and sent regional tensions soaring.
US again warns air traffic over military activity around Venezuela
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US again warns air traffic over military activity around Venezuela
- The new warning came days after a pilot for JetBlue said his aircraft came close to colliding with a US Air Force refueling plane near Venezuela
Russia will examine Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ invite: Putin
- Invites were sent to dozens of world leaders with a request for $1 billion for a permanent seat on the board
MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Russia would study US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his “Board of Peace.”
“The Russian foreign ministry has been charged with studying the documents that were sent to us and to consult on the topic with our strategic partners,” Putin said during a televised government meeting. “It is only after that we’ll be able to reply to the invitation.”
He said that Russia could pay the billion dollars being asked for permanent membership “from the Russian assets frozen under the previous American administration.”
He added that the assets could also be used “to reconstruct the territories damaged by the hostilities, after the conclusion of a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.”
Invites were sent to dozens of world leaders with a request for $1 billion for a permanent seat on the board.
Although originally meant to oversee Gaza’s rebuilding, the board’s charter does not seem to limit its role to the Palestinian coastal enclave and appears to want to rival the United Nations, drawing the ire of some US allies including France.
