AIDA Cruises Pulls Out of Venezuela’s Margarita Island after Murder of Passenger

A report in El Universal newspaper says that German cruise line AIDA Cruises announced the suspension of its two next port calls on Margarita Island, Venezuela.

Last week a 76-year-old passenger was shot and killed while ashore on an excursion from the Aida Luna cruise ship. Venezuela has one of the highest murder rates in the world. The newspaper quoted the president of the Nueva Esparta Chamber of Tourism, stating:

"This was expected to happen, because security has a direct effect on tourism; hence we insist on saying that time has come to go from words to action. Not only we need police, but the fact of the matter is creating wellbeing in the region in order to minimize crime; there is the need to combat impunity with all the strength we have."

In many ways, there are other countries in the Caribbean which are exactly in this Venezuelan island's precarious situation. In Margarita Island, which is in the Caribbean, this turned out to be the case. The Aida Luna is owned by Carnival Corporation and operated by AIDA Cruises.

Source: Cruise Law News