Margarita, Venezuela, Tourist Murder

[MarkJ]

Cruisers have been talking about Margarita as being insecure. This tourist attack may help cruiserrs avaoid the area.

Thomas Ossel, from Bedfordshire, was fatally shot in the jaw while his brother Jack was wounded but survived.

The brothers were staying at a backpacker hostel on Margarita Island, one of the country's leading tourist destinations. They had left a bar on Monday evening and were on their way home when they were confronted by robbers.

British tourist shot dead in Venezuela - Telegraph

[rognvald]

We must remember as travelers, that when we enter the realm of Third World countries we leave behind Western culture, morals and especially English jurisprudence. Things have changed dramatically in the last ten years for us and if we travel with our rose colored glasses rather than our finely ground optics, we all take the chance of disaster. What a waste of precious human life for this young man to be murdered by these degenerate scoundrels. My deepest sympathies to his family and to those who loved him. Ron

[Southern Star]

Yes, a horrible incident. However, I suggest that anyone who believes that this is something which could only happen on Isla Margarita is both ill-informed and naive.
I was in Antigua during the first week of July and during that week there were two murders and the rape of a woman on a boat in Jolly Harbour. Coincidentally, there was an ongoing trial of two locals who not only robbed two honeymooners from England, but then chose to murder them execution style - point-blank shots to their foreheads while they were on their knees. The same men are also accused of three other murders committed in a similar fashion.

While the murder rate on Isla Margarita is unfortunately quite high (although well below that of other built-up areas in Venezuela such as Caracas), tourists are rarely the victims. Indeed, if I am not mistaken, this is only the second murder of a 'European/American' in the last three years. By way of comparison, as I recall there were 13 Canadians alone killed in Mexico last year.

Brad