Caracas, Venezuela - Venezuela's aviation authority said Wednesday that it banned multiple airlines accused of "terrorism" after they suspended routes in response to warnings from the US 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.

The US had warned of increased military activity in the Caribbean amid heavy deployment of assets which Venezuela's President Nicolás 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."

President Donald Trump's administration has sent an aircraft carrier strike group and other Navy warships, as well as stealth aircraft, to the region, while launching near-weekly strikes on small boats sailing in international waters, sparking fears of an imminent war.

Over 80 people have been killed in attacks justified by the US as drug-enforcement operations, but which experts and international organizations have called illegal.

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.