Maduro Cuts Off Venezuela’s Air and Sea Traffic With 3 Island Neighbors

Maduro Cuts Off Venezuela’s Air and Sea Traffic With 3 Island Neighbors<br />“They take away gold from this country illegally, and make it legal to sell there; they take<br />away coltan, they take away diamonds, they take away all food products,” Mr. Maduro said.<br />“I didn’t want to take a measure like this one, but I am ready to take even more radical measures.”<br />The Caribbean islands, which are short distances from Venezuela’s northern coast, have long hosted black<br />markets for Venezuelan contraband, trading everything from illegally mined minerals to narcotics.<br />MEDELLÍN, Colombia — President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela ordered a temporary shutdown of air<br />and maritime traffic with three Caribbean neighbors on Friday, accusing smugglers there of seeking to plunder his country.<br />The countries, however, have become better known under Mr. Maduro’s presidency as the<br />landing site of boats of hungry Venezuelans fleeing their country’s food shortages.<br />In a televised address, Mr. Maduro said he had halted all flights and ship traffic to Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao for 72 hours.