U.S. State Department issues ‘Do Not Travel’ advisory about Venezuela
The U.S. State Department on Tuesday issued a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory for Venezuela, a day after the United States announced sanctions against Venezuela’s state-owned oil company.
As the United States tries to lead President Nicolás Maduro out of office and usher in National Assembly head Juan Guaidó, the State Department says, “Do not travel to Venezuela due to crime, civil unrest, poor health infrastructure, and arbitrary arrest and detention of U.S. citizens.”
Adding to the arrest-and-detention warning, the advisory later says, “Venezuelan authorities may not notify the U.S. Embassy of the detention of a U.S. citizen, and consular access to detainees may be denied or severely delayed.”
Other pieces of advice for those who choose to head for Venezuela anyway:
▪ Do not travel between cities after dark.
▪ Avoid travel between Simón Bolívar International Airport and Caracas at night.
▪ Do not take unregulated taxis from Simón Bolívar International Airport, and avoid ATMs in this area.
▪ Avoid demonstrations.
▪ Bring a sufficient supply of over-the-counter and prescription medicines.
▪ Register in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to get alerts and be more accessible in case of emergency.
This story was originally published January 29, 2019 at 12:54 PM.
