Venezuela’s aviation authority said Wednesday that it banned multiple airlines accused of “terrorism” after they suspended routes, heeding warnings from the United States about military activity in the region.

The affected airlines — Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP, Colombia’s Avianca, Chile and Brazil’s LATAM, Brazil’s GOL, and Turkish Airlines — will have their operational permits revoked for “joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government and unilaterally suspending air commercial operations,” the civil aviation authority said in an Instagram post.

Washington had warned of increased military activity in the Caribbean amid a deployment to target narcotics operations, which Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro insists is intended to overthrow his government.

Last week, the US Federal Aviation Administration urged civilian aircraft operating in Venezuelan airspace to “exercise caution” due to the “worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela.”

Washington has sent an aircraft carrier strike group and other Navy warships, as well as stealth aircraft, to the region — deployments it says are aimed at curbing drug trafficking but which have sparked fears in Caracas that regime change is the goal.

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The Venezuelan Ministry of Transport gave a 48-hour deadline on Monday to resume flights to the six companies. The deadline expired at noon Wednesday. All maintained the suspension.

The flight suspension has so far affected more than 8,000 passengers on at least 40 different flights, according to data from the Venezuelan Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (AVAVIT).

AFP