Caribbean Review: American Military Induced Airspace Closures May Have Been Just The Start In the Caribbean

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Due to America’s military invasion of Venezuela in early January, the Aruban and surrounding airspace experienced short-term closures. The airspace reopened on January 4, 2026 but warnings have been put out to watch for future delays as American military presence continues.

America’s Invasion Of Venezuela

Early on January 3, 2026 American forces attacked Venezuela’s capital city of Caracas and captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Maduro is currently in New York federal court and has pleaded not guilty to charges including narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. Prior to being taken into American custody, Maduro has long rejected American claims of his involvement in drug trafficking. 

President Trump said that the United States would run Venezuela until a “proper” transition into new leadership can take place. He also said American oil companies are planning to move into Venezuela to take care of the nation’s oil operations.

The invasion comes after months of increased American military presence in the Caribbean and a series of lethal boat strikes on Venezuelan civilian boats. The lethal boat strikes resulted in at least 100 deaths sparking criticism both internationally and within the American government.

Closed Airspace

When the United States invaded Venezuela, several hundred flights to and from the Caribbean were cancelled due to a temporary shutdown of airspace in parts of the region, including Aruba. The airspace shutdown primarily affected U.S. carriers. An estimated 900 flights were cancelled and over 4,000 were delayed due to the airspace closure. Many fear this will not be an isolated shutdown. 

Barbados Prime minister Mia Mottley said that the consequences of this conflict and more American military action in the Caribbean could potentially disrupt both air and sea ports to Barbados and surrounding nations. 

American military presence in the Caribbean doesn’t show signs of halting. Prior to the invasion, and up until the present day, the U.S. military has its largest buildup in the region in decades. Puerto Rico has experienced a rise in troop presence and the reactivation of old military bases. American forces have been conducting strikes on vessels they suspect of drug smuggling as part of a newly announced armed initiative against various cartels. American warships and Coast Guard ships have been stationed off the coast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, while an American-backed prime minister assumes control of the nation's transitional council. Some sources suggest increased military presence could last through at least late 2028, around when President Trump’s current term would end.

American Military Involvement In The Caribbean

The United States has a long history of military presence and interventions in the Caribbean and South America. These involvements include numerous invasions, occupations and political influence to “protect American interests” in the region whether for political power, resources, or other reasons. Footsteps of where America has been in the Caribbean are often stained with the blood of revolutionaries, elected officials, and citizens, and this recent action, both in Venezuela, and across the region invokes scary thoughts for residents and nonresidents who know about what the American government has historically done to protect interests or “for policy”. 

Even for nations not directly impacted, the airspace closures and future potential closures are an example of how impactful and potentially detrimental U.S. action and operations are in the region. A vast majority of these nations rely on tourism for their economies, and though there is a recent shift to rely less on foreign capital, the closure of American air travel and potentially sea travel could greatly affect the economies of these nations. Many of these nations are also not in positions to economically function without trade with Canada and the United States, due to a long history of American companies and military manufacturing a reliance within these countries upon trading relationships with the United States.

American interests are not the best interests for citizens of Caribbean nations. U.S. history in Latin America and the Caribbean demonstrates this through examples of American occupations in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the Banana Wars in Central America and the Caribbean, the military backing of the contras in Nicaragua, and more. Increased military presence and intervention, especially under the current heavily humanitarian, environmentally and economically criticized administration would not be best for the people of the Caribbean. The swift invasion of Venezuela displays how quickly and how forceful American invasion could be in interests of resources like oil. The airspace shutdown shows how impactful the effects of closed access between the U.S. and Caribbean countries could be, without even presenting trade and resource reliance. Advisories for future airspace shutdowns continue as American troops stay stationed in the region, and although there hasn’t been a closure since the invasion of Venezuela, this raised presence and exposure of Caribbean reliance and connection to the United States could be a warning for what's to come.