Barbados Faces Tourism Fallout Following U.S. Military Operation in Caracas

By Val Matthias. Updated 11:30 a.m., Sunday, January 4, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4). 

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has reported immediate economic and logistical fallout for the island following a large-scale U.S. military operation in Venezuela earlier on Saturday.  

At a press conference, Mottley outlined the disruptions to travel and tourism, as well as the national security response, stressing that the developments place the Caribbean in “uncharted territory.”  

The most visible impact has been on air travel. At least 13 scheduled inbound flights to Barbados were cancelled after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration mandated regional airspace closures. Airlines affected include JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and KLM. Cruise operations were also disrupted. Mottley noted that three flights carrying passengers for cruise “home-porting” were cancelled, though some flights from the UK and Canada were still permitted to land. The cancellations coincided with a peak holiday travel weekend, leaving many visitors stranded at airports and hotels across the island.  

The Barbados National Security Council convened on Saturday with the Venezuelan crisis as its primary focus. Mottley assured citizens that Barbadians currently living in Venezuela are reported safe. She emphasized that the Caribbean must remain a “zone of peace,” cautioning against unilateral military action and warning against conflating military operations with law enforcement. “We must not allow the region to be destabilized by actions that do not respect international norms,” she said.  

The fallout stems from Operation Absolute Resolve, a U.S. military strike in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on narcoterrorism charges. The operation triggered widespread airspace closures across the Eastern Caribbean, affecting several island nations including Puerto Rico, Aruba, and Saint Lucia.  

Mottley acknowledged that while Barbados is managing the immediate disruptions, the broader implications for regional stability remain unclear. She reiterated her government’s commitment to safeguarding national security and protecting the island’s economic lifelines, particularly tourism.  

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