In a sudden turn of events, countless tourists find themselves stranded in the Caribbean following the suspension of flights triggered by the United States’ dramatic seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
An American vacationer, opting for anonymity, recounted his unexpected ordeal to the Daily Mail. He was roused from a peaceful slumber by an alert from Delta Air Lines, notifying him that his flight from St. Thomas to New York had been canceled, necessitating a rescheduling.
Still drowsy, he joined the throngs of fellow travelers, waiting on hold for 40 minutes with the airline’s support, all eager to secure a new flight. Many, like him, were in the dark about the true cause of the disruption.
As he browsed through the news, the tourist stumbled upon the startling revelation that the U.S. military had launched an operation in Venezuela, a mere 600 miles from his New Year’s retreat in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“I didn’t make the connection at first,” he admitted to the Daily Mail. “I thought it was surprising there was a strike, but I just stayed on hold.”
The pieces fell into place only after a Delta representative informed him that his departure from St. Thomas would be delayed until at least Sunday. This was due to the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to close all airspace around Venezuela, a measure expected to last until the following morning.
‘It seems like a pretty drastic move to take the axe to all flights.’
The tourist and others fear the 24-hour delay may become an indefinite rolling one as the dust continues to settle following Saturday morning’s shock strike in Caracas.
An American tourist, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Daily Mail he was sleeping peacefully when he was awoken by a text alert from Delta Air Lines saying his flight from St. Thomas to New York was canceled and he had to reschedule
He would later find out his flight was canceled due to President Donald Trump’s strike on Venezuela just hours earlier, where the US military captured President Nicolas Maduro
That tourist says he and his partner have been forced to shell out $1,600 for an extra night at the Westin Beach Resort & Spa – much more than the per-night cost of their original booking.
And he’s unsure if Delta will compensate him. When contacted by the Daily Mail, Delta said it would issue a travel waiver to passengers, but did not specify if it would cover accommodations for stranded passengers.
‘I am worried about being stuck here and incurring additional costs,’ the tourist told the Daily Mail. ‘You know, it’s not cheap… It’s not fun.
‘I’ll consider myself lucky and happy if I get off tomorrow. If I don’t get off tomorrow, then I’ll start to become a little more stressed.
‘Then you’re stuck here until God knows when,’ he continued. ‘I don’t think anyone knows how long the airspace is going to be closed.’
He landed on the popular vacation spot on December 29 and had planned to be on a flight to New York City at 5:35pm local time today. He’s now rebooked on the same flight for tomorrow.
But many of his fellow tourists are worried they’ll be stuck on the paradisal island until at least Thursday. And Delta’s current website does not show any outbound flights available until Saturday, January 10.
Cyril E. King Airport, located on St. Thomas, has canceled 43 flights today. Queen Beatrix International Airport, located on Aruba canceled 44 flights, according to Flight Aware.
Although the tourist’s flight is rescheduled for tomorrow, he’d worried it won’t take off. Delta Air Lines doesn’t show an outbound flight until at least Saturday, January 10
Pictured: Passengers waiting at a Puerto Rico airport after the cancellations. Nineteen airports are being affected by the airspace closure conducted by the FAA
Luis Munoz Marin International in Puerto Rico had the most cancellations with 169.
A total of 19 airports are being affected, including those on the US and British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, St. Martin, St. Lucia, Barbados, and more, according to American Airlines.
President Donald Trump told the American public at a press conference on Saturday that he believed Operation Absolute Resolve was complete, but that the military was and is prepared for a second strike if necessary.
That uncertainty could make airlines nervous, although there is no indication that Venezuela is planning any type of retaliation – or that it has the ability to do so.
‘It’s an assault that people have not seen since World War II,’ the Republican said on Saturday.
He also announced that the US would run Venezuela until the problem was solved, but he did not mention when the airspace would reopen.
President Maduro was captured by US forces and is currently on his way to the US to face charges of narcoterrorism, alongside his wife.
Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago country club in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump alleged that Maduro is the leader of the Cartel de los Soles, or Cartel of the Suns, drug trafficking operation.
The president has accused Maduro and his alleged cartel cronies of flooding the United States with illegal narcotics and has charged him with drug smuggling and weapons offenses.
President Maduro was captured by US forces and is currently on his way to the US to face charges of narcoterrorism, alongside his wife. He was flown to USS Iwo Jima, where he was pictured wearing dark sunglasses and headphones
President Donald Trump told the American public at a press conference on Saturday that he believed Operation Absolute Resolve was complete, but that the military was and is prepared for a second strike if necessary (pictured: the strike)
After his capture by the US Army’s elite Delta Force unit, Maduro was flown by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima warship, where he was photographed wearing a heavy black plastic eye mask and ear muffs over his ears in an apparent bid to keep his location a secret from him.
He will be taken to New York City to face charges at Manhattan Federal Court and will likely be held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, which currently houses alleged CEO murderer Luigi Mangione.
Trump said Saturday that he had not briefed Congress of his plans to snatch Maduro, claiming that had he done so, the news would have ‘leaked’ and potentially helped the Venezuelan leader to evade capture.
Maduro’s capture sparked jubilation from Venezuelan migrants living outside of their home nation on Saturday.
Hundreds took to the streets of cities, including Santiago in Chile, to celebrate the ouster of a leader seen as a corrupt authoritarian accused of destroying the economy of his oil-rich country while silencing dissent.
The American tourist, who had spoken with Venezuelan Americans on St. Thomas, told the Daily Mail one woman and her husband were ‘ecstatic’ and ‘very happy’ about the news.
Many Venezuelans who fled the South American country live on Caribbean islands, including both US Virgin Islands, St. Thomas and St. John.
The atmosphere in Caracas, where the strike took place, was much more muted.
Locals were photographed lining up outside supermarkets amid fears Maduro’s ouster will lead to even greater economic uncertainty.
