Donald Trump has confirmed the capture of Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, and the leader and his wife, Cilia Flores, have both been indicted in the Southern District of New York.
Trump has now vowed to run Venezuela until a ‘safe transition’ is able to take place, and has pledged to inject ‘billions of dollars’ into exploiting the oil-rich country’s natural resources.
Venezuela’s president and his wife were at their home in Fort Tiuna military installation in Caracas when they were ‘kidnapped’.
But, considering that Venezuela is only around 7 miles from countries in the Caribbean like Trinidad, concern about what this means for Caribbean travel – and whether it means the airspace will be closed – is high.
Here’s the latest tourist advice if you’re travelling to the Caribbean following the events on the ground in Venezuela.
Follow our coverage of the US strikes on Venezuela here
Best of Metro Deals
Get exclusive discounts with Metro Deals – save on getaways and spa days. Powered by Wowcher
Bannatyne Spa
Spa day for two with treatments, lunch & prosecco — save up to 57% off.
Other deals
Mystery Escape
Hotel stay with return flights from as low as £92pp — save on worldwide holiday packages.
Beach Retreat (Lanzarote)
4* Lanzarote beach holiday with flights — save up to 58%.
UK Getaway
4* Radisson Blu Durham stay with breakfast, spa access & late checkout — save 60% off.
Drive Supercars
3–12 lap supercar driving experiences from £16.99 — save up to 65%.
Have flights to the Caribbean really been cancelled?
Yes, some flights to the Caribbean were cancelled this weekend.
According to FlightRadar24.com, no airline flights were crossing over Venezuela on Saturday, while major airlines cancelled hundreds of flights across the eastern Caribbean. Reports in the Associated Press added that passengers could continue to face disruption for days.
Flights were cancelled to and from Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Aruba and other destinations in the Lesser Antilles Island group, which is just north of Venezuela. Many of the airlines waived change fees for passengers who were forced to reschedule their flights.
On Saturday afternoon, British holidaymakers were left stranded as three planes bound for the Caribbean turned around midway through their flights.
According to reports in The Independent, three Tui aircraft destined for Barbados, one which started in Birmingham and two others from Gatwick and Manchester, turned around while crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
However, some travel is now starting to resume.
US transport secretary Sean Duffy wrote in a post on X on Sunday: ‘The original restrictions around the Caribbean airspace are expiring at 12:00am ET and flights can resume.
‘Airlines are informed and will update their schedules quickly. Please continue to work with your airline if your flight was affected by the restrictions.’
JetBlue said it cancelled about 215 flights ‘due to airspace closures across the Caribbean related to military activity,’ but added that flights which were further west, towards the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, weren’t impacted by the restrictions.
United Airlines said it was tweaking its schedules to accommodate the airspace closures, and Southwest Airlines said it had suspended travel to Puerto Rico until further notice, but flights to the Dominican Republic were unaffected.
Why did the US invade Venezuela?
In recent months, US forces have carried out multiple fatal strikes targeting boats in Venezuelan waters following claims they were carrying drugs linked to gangs.
In September, a strike against a Venezuelan gang in the Caribbean left 11 people dead in international waters, prompting questions about the legality of the attack.
Sources told CNN that UK officials believe the September strike, and others, violated international law after having killed 76 people so far.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk went one step further – calling them ‘extrajudicial killing’.
The US government is targeting Venezuela because they don’t view President Nicolas Maduro as a legitimate leader. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cartel de los Soles, or Cartel of the Suns, is ‘responsible for terrorist violence’ in the Western Hemisphere.
Maduro denies being involved, but the designation is the latest attempt by Trump to stop drug trafficking into the US.
Rumours have also circulated for a while that Trump wants to push for regime change to unseat Maduro, who has accused the US of ‘fabricating a new eternal war’.
Trump would likely target facilities belonging to Maduro’s regime or criminal gangs in a bid to stop this.
What are my rights if my flight has been cancelled?
According to the Civil Aviation Authority, UK and EU airlines must look after you if your flight is delayed or cancelled.
This includes everything from meals and accommodation to an alternative flight if necessary.
Citizen’s Advice says that airlines should also give impacted passengers access to phone calls and emails, and, if they offer you a place to stay, organise the journeys between the hotel and the airport.
Sometimes, the airline will cover this by handing you vouchers at the airport. When in doubt, keep any receipts for expenses and claim them back afterwards from the airline.
But an airline will only cough up money for ‘reasonable’ expenses. The hotel minibar or penthouse suites likely can’t be expensed.
If you didn’t book with a UK or EU airline, you’ll need to check their terms and conditions. However, for the most part, airlines should provide meals and accommodation as appropriate.
When am I eligible for this support?
Whether you’re eligible for the above depends on the distance of your flight and how long you have waited:
- For short-haul (up to 1,500km over two hours or less), you must have been waiting for two hours or more.
- For medium-haul (between 1,500km and 3,500km over two to four hours), it’s three hours or more.
- For long-haul (more than 3,500km over four hours or more), it’s four hours or more.
What is the latest Foreign Office tourist advice for travelling to the Caribbean?
The advice for travelling to many of the islands in the Caribbean hasn’t changed since December, when new information was given about dual nationals wanting to return to the UK.
As such, there aren’t currently any nations in the Caribbean that the UK Foreign Office is advising against travelling to, besides Haiti.
However, the guidance has been in place since December 10, 2025, and that’s on account of the ‘volatile security situation,’ citing risk of violence and kidnappings. This is unrelated to the current situation in Venezuela.
What is the latest Foreign Office tourist advice for travelling to Venezuela?
Following the US strikes, the UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice on Venezuela.
It now advises against all travel to the country, and has said that British Nationals who are already either living or travelling in Venezuela should shelter in place, and ‘be prepared to change plans quickly if necessary.’
The website’s guidance adds: ‘You should have a ‘personal emergency plan’, including practical steps for leaving the country or staying safe during a crisis, that does not depend on support from the UK government.’
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
