US: Venezuela Travel Warning

The Department of State has issued this Travel Warning to inform U.S. citizens about security conditions in Venezuela. Thousands of U.S. citizens safely visit Venezuela each year for study, tourism, business, and volunteer work. While U.S. citizens are not specifically targeted, violent crime in Venezuela is pervasive, both in the capital, Caracas, and in the interior. This replaces the Travel Warning issued on December 11, 2014 to include updated crime data.

Armed robberies take place throughout Caracas and other cities, including in areas generally presumed safe and frequented by tourists. Street crime can take place at any time, and upscale residential areas where many U.S. citizens live and visit are not immune from street crime and home invasion robberies. Recently, heavily armed criminals used grenades and assault rifles to commit crimes at banks, shopping malls, public transportation stations, and universities.

According to the non-governmental organization Venezuelan Violence Observatory (VVO), Venezuela has the second highest homicide rate in the world. Kidnappings are also a serious concern throughout the country, and, according to police sources, roughly 80 percent go unreported. Most can be classified as “express kidnappings” which last only a few hours, while the victim and/or family members gather as much money as possible for a quick release. Victims are often physically roughed up or even killed if they resist kidnappers’ demands. In addition, there is cross-border violence, kidnappings, drug trafficking, and smuggling along Venezuela’s western border with Colombia.

The Department of State considers the criminal threat to U.S. government personnel in Venezuela sufficiently serious to require them to live and work under strict security restrictions. All U.S. direct-hire personnel and their families assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Caracas are subject to an embassy movement policy for their safety and well-being. The details of the policy are found in our Country Specific Information on Venezuela. These practices limit, and may occasionally prevent, access by U.S. Embassy officials to certain areas of Caracas and the interior of the country.

In addition, all U.S. direct-hire personnel and their family members who are assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Caracas are required to take an armored vehicle when traveling to and from the Maiquetia Airport as well as when traveling in some parts of Caracas and the interior.

U.S. citizens in Venezuela should be vigilant of their surroundings at all times and in all locations, especially when entering or exiting their homes, hotels, cars, garages, schools, and workplaces. Whenever possible, U.S. citizens should travel in groups of two or more persons; avoid wearing jewelry and carrying large sums of money or displaying cash, ATM/credit cards, mobile phones, or other valuables; and avoid walking at night in most areas of Venezuela and walking alone on beaches, historic ruins, and trails. Incidents of crime along inter-city roads, including carjacking and kidnapping, are common in Venezuela. Motorists should avoid traveling at night and always drive with their doors locked to deter potential robberies at traffic lights and on congested city streets.

For further information:

See the State Department's travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Venezuela Specific Information.
Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
Contact the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela, located at Calle F con Calle Suapure, Lomas de Valle Arriba, Caracas at +[58] 212-975-6411, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +[58] 0212-907-8400.
Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

VENEZUELA: Caracas Boasts Impressive Modern Architecture In South America

Venezuela is a country of dramatic contrasts. Its unique geography ranges from the long Caribbean coastline in the north to the dense Amazon Forest in the south. To the east lies the stunning Gran Sabana plateau, while the snowy peaks of the Andes dominate the west.

Venezuela

Not surprisingly, there’s an equally wide range of holiday options, from the sophistication and striking architecture of the capital, Caracas, to the demands of trekking and climbing in the rugged interior, and the ultimate relaxation of balmy beaches edged by coconut palms.

The country has no railway system, but possesses an excellent modern road network and well-developed tourist infrastructure, although rural communities in the interior live in a way that has not been changed for many generations.

Caracas boasts some of the most impressive modern architecture in South America; it’s a bustling city with modern hotels, fine restaurants, sophisticated shops and excellent sports facilities. Historic sites include the Plaza Bolivar, with its 17th century cathedral and the Casa Natal de Bolivar, the birthplace of national hero Simon Bolivar who liberated the country from Spanish rule. The city named after him, Ciudad Bolivar, on the lower Orinoco, retains much of its colonial charm.
AIRPORT/GATEWAYS/FLYING TIMES:

Airport: The main international airport is Simon Bolivar International Airport (locally known as Maiquetia airport) located in the Vargas state. It is approximately a 30-minute ride from Caracas.

Gateways/Flying Times: From Europe, there are non stop flights from Paris (Air France), Rome and Milan (Alitalia), Madrid (Iberia, Air Europa, CONVIASA), Frankfurt (Lufthansa) and Lisbon and Oporto (TAP).
SIGHTSEEING:

Between the huge Orinoco delta and Maracaibo, the oil capital of Venezuela, stretch 1,100 miles of magnificent, white beaches. Isla Margarita, 25 miles off the coast, is a popular destination for foreign visitors and Venezuelans alike. Further west, the 150 islands of the Los Roques National Park offer excellent sailing, snorkeling and scuba diving.

Venezuela’s breathtaking panoramas include Angel Falls, at more than 3,200 feet the highest waterfall in the world. The country is host to a wide variety of exotic plants and animals, including the jaguar, the great condor and the anaconda, the longest snake in the world. It is paradise for bird-watchers, who can see 15 percent of the entire world’s species of birds right here.