Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has cautioned that Barbados is now confronting the direct fallout from yesterday’s United States (US) military action in Venezuela, as escalating developments in Caracas triggered widespread airspace disruptions, grounded flights, stranded passengers and placed fresh strain on the island’s tourism and transport systems.
Speaking at a press conference at Ilaro Court, Mottley said the past 24 hours were “exceedingly challenging”, forcing Government to manage overlapping national security, aviation and humanitarian concerns while the situation in Venezuela continued to evolve rapidly.
“The last 24 hours have proven to be exceedingly challenging and it is important that we speak to the country to ensure that on the multiple fronts that we have been affected . . . people know that things are under control with respect to the consequences that we are now currently facing.”
Mottley described the events unfolding in Venezuela as unprecedented in the modern Caribbean context, noting that overnight military action by the United States had plunged the South American nation into a volatile and uncertain phase.
“It is fair to say that what we saw happen last night in Venezuela is uncharted territory,” she said. “Matters are unfolding every half hour to an hour, with statements coming from different players, from the President of the United States of America to the Secretary of State and others.”
In the early hours of yesterday, the US carried out a military strike on Venezuela and took President Nicolas Maduro and his wife into custody aboard a US warship.
Mottley confirmed that the action triggered immediate regional security and aviation alerts, prompting emergency consultations among Caribbean leaders.
She revealed that shortly after 3 a.m. she was already in contact with fellow heads of government and the CARICOM Secretary General, leading to an urgent Heads of Government meeting just after 5 a.m.
“At that stage, we recognised it was too early for us to make any defining comment and that remains the position,” she said. “But what we can speak to clearly are the consequences for Barbados.”
Those consequences, she stressed, validated longstanding warnings from Caribbean states about the destabilising impact of conflict involving Venezuela.
“We always said that small states really can only survive in an international rules-based order,” Mottley said. “We also said that conflict would have consequences. Many of you asked what would those consequences be . . . well, we’re living them out today.”
The immediate impact was felt in the air. As military activity and heightened alerts disrupted regional airspace management, a cascade of flight cancellations followed, particularly affecting US-registered aircraft.
Mottley disclosed that 13 scheduled inbound flights to Barbados – “all of them full” – were cancelled.
“JetBlue, Delta Airlines, United Airlines were affected,” she said, adding that KLM also cancelled its flight, despite not operating out of the United States.
She explained that the Caribbean’s upper airspace is controlled through a small number of regional centres and closures or restrictions in key nodes had knock-on effects across the Eastern Caribbean. While Trinidad’s Piarco airport never closed, Curaçao’s airspace was shut for a period and San Juan remained a concern.
“For the most part, regional air travel continues to operate, even though the situation is tenuous and people are watching it,” Mottley said.
She confirmed that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic flights were expected to arrive, along with services from Air Canada and WestJet.
Barbados’ position as one of the Caribbean’s closest tourism hubs to Venezuela magnified the impact. Mottley noted that the island currently had four cruise ships in port, with a fifth scheduled to arrive for maintenance, placing pressure on berthing capacity.
Port challenge
“Our difficulty at the Port is going to be accommodating the berthing of all of them,” she said. “Some will have to be accommodated outside of the immediate harbour and rely on tenders.”
She revealed that roughly 2 000 cruise passengers were affected by cancelled flights linked to home-porting operations, while ships such as the Seabourn Explorer and the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection also felt the disruption.
At Grantley Adams International Airport, 73 passengers due to return to Caracas on a Conviasa flight were left stranded after services were suspended.
“There’s no incoming flight at this point in time for them,” Mottley said. “The airport is dealing with them and trying to understand exactly where persons have been.”
She said Government had already mobilised the Ministry of Tourism and the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association to identify available accommodation, noting that room capacity was partially offset because many inbound travellers never arrived. She also noted there were also Barbadians trying to get back home, who were now searching for ways to return.
“This situation will remain fluid,” she cautioned, though she said the reopening of Curaçao and French airspace offered cautious optimism that stability could return “barring no new unforeseen circumstances in Venezuela”.
The National Security Council also met shortly after 1 p.m., receiving briefings not only from law enforcement but also from officials responsible for aviation, tourism and port operations.
“We took briefs of both situations from a range of persons,” Mottley said, emphasising the need to manage both external geopolitical risks and domestic implications.
She also addressed the human dimension of the crisis, noting that some stranded travellers, both foreign nationals and Barbadians, may lack the means to make alternative arrangements.
“There are some people who may not have the wherewithal or the capacity to do so,” she said. “That is where the Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, the Barbados Defence Force and the Ministry of Tourism will step in.”
Mottley reassured families that Barbados’ diplomatic mission in Venezuela remained intact and that she had spoken directly with the country’s ambassador in Caracas.
“There is no evidence or any reports of any injuries to any Barbadians in Venezuela and for that we are grateful,” she said, adding that she remained in constant contact as the situation there remained “exceedingly fluid”.
She concluded by confirming that both Grantley Adams International Airport and the Bridgetown Port would remain on high alert, with contingency arrangements already activated.
“This is a moving target but we will continue to keep the country informed, because moments like this remind us why peace, stability and a rulesbased international order are not abstract ideas for small states – they are matters of survival.” (CLM)
