The Venezuelan Defense Minister remarked that they will not fall into destabilizing provocations by the U.S. and Colombia. | Photo: Cubadebate

Caracas, September 22 (RHC)-- The Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) of Venezuela has denounced through an official statement issued by the Ministry of Defense, the violation of airspace by a drone belonging to the Colombian Air Force (FAC).

The document states that the unmanned Hermes aircraft was detected this Monday at 16H48 (local time) by the scanning systems of the Aerospace Defense Command, while flying over part of the Jesús María Semprúm municipality, located in the state of Zulia, on the border area with Colombia.

Likewise, the Ministry of Defense asserts that the event constitutes a blatant threat to the security of the nation, not at all accidental, since it coincides with the presence in Colombia of Admiral Crayg Faller, head of the United States (U.S.) Southern Command, with the alleged purpose of discussing matters of "cooperation in security matters."

"It is a clear indication of the U.S. empire and the Colombian government, its unworthy and unconditional ally in the region, to build any type of incident that allows them to continue generating instability, and in particular, to torpedo the dialogue process that is currently taking place in Mexico, in search of solutions to the problems of the country, peace and unity of all the Venezuelan people."

For his part, the Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino López, pointed out that the Colombian Executive, with its actions, encourages the destabilization of the region.   "While Latin America opens roads and advances towards integration, the nauseating oligarchy that governs in Colombia promotes warlike behavior acting as an advanced base of operations of imperialism to destabilize the region," he added.

"Venezuela will not fall into the repeated and crude provocations of a criminal oligarchy and the decadent empire that sponsors it, which have become an anachronism lacking the slightest credibility in the context of nations," said Minister Padrino López.

According to data provided by the Flight Information Region (FIR) Maiquetía, the unmanned drone coming from the FIR of Bogotá entered Venezuelan airspace without the proper overflight authorization or the corresponding plan to enter; and was located 64 nautical miles northwest of the "Francisco García de Hevia" airport located in La Fría, Táchira state, at an altitude of 8,000 feet, and a speed of 90 knots.