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TRINIDAD and Tobago travel agencies are reporting a sharp decline in bookings to Margarita Island amid escalating tensions between the US and Venezuela. However, agencies insist that the popular tourist destination, 40 km north of the mainland, remains calm, safe and operational.

The downturn follows a series of recent US actions against the government of Venezuela and its president Nicolás Maduro. On December 16, US president Donald Trump ordered a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, targeting what he says is the country’s main source of income.

This came weeks after the US declared the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered “closed in its entirety”, though no specific operational details were provided.