Venezuela blocks Argentine aircraft from its airspace in retaliation for cargo plane seizure

Venezuela has announced the closure of its airspace to aircraft originating from or bound for Argentina, following the seizure of a cargo plane that was subsequently handed over to US authorities, Report informs, citing MercoPress.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil declared, “Venezuela exercises full sovereignty in its airspace,” vowing that “no aircraft” from Argentina will be permitted to fly over Venezuelan territory until compensation is provided for damages caused by the seizure.

The retaliatory measure comes in response to condemnation from the Argentine government, which initiated diplomatic actions against Venezuela following the airspace restriction. Manuel Adorni, spokesman of the Argentine Presidency, emphasized that “Argentina will not allow itself to be extorted by the friends of terrorism.”

“No aircraft, coming from or heading to Argentina, will be able to fly over our territory until our company is duly compensated for the damages caused, after the illegal actions carried out, only with the purpose of pleasing their northern tutors," the Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Yván Gil, wrote on X.

Tensions between the two nations escalated after the United States completed the seizure of a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft belonging to Emtrasur, a subsidiary of the Venezuelan state airline Conviasa. The plane, detained in Buenos Aires since June 2022, was sold to Venezuela by the Iranian airline Mahan Air and later hijacked by authorities upon arrival from Mexico.