The U.S. Department of State has issued a “do not travel” warning for Venezuela, renewing a previous advisory that dissuades American citizens from visiting the country. In its latest bulletin, the federal agency maintained its “Level 4” advisory—the most dangerous level—for the country, citing high levels of crime and potential civil unrest.
The statement revealed that shortages of gasoline, electricity, water, medicine, and medical supplies persist throughout much of Venezuela. Additionally, U.S. citizens face a “high risk” of being detained by Venezuelan authorities, with the country’s security forces having imprisoned Americans for as long as five years in the past. The bulletin also noted that the U.S. government is not typically informed about the detention of American citizens in Venezuela or granted access to U.S. citizen prisoners there.
In 2019, the U.S. State Department withdrew all of its diplomatic personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Caracas and suspended operations there. The bulletin emphasized that all consular services, routine and emergency, remain suspended until further notice, with the U.S. government unable to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Venezuela.
U.S. citizens currently in Venezuela who require consular assistance are encouraged to leave as soon as possible and contact a U.S. embassy or consulate in another country for help. The bulletin also mentioned that foreign terrorist organizations from neighboring Colombia have been operating in Venezuela.
The re-issuance of the warning comes just weeks before elections are scheduled to take place in July, which could potentially see President Nicolás Maduro secure another presidential term. However, some leading opposition candidates have been disqualified from running in the elections, leading to condemnation from international human rights organizations.
In a separate “security alert” posted on its website, the Department of State explained that the warning was sent due to the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations, or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests. Americans who are overseas are encouraged to use “increased caution,” the alert states.
The State Department also mentioned that it is aware of the increased potential for foreign terrorist organization-inspired violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. In a separate bulletin earlier this month, both the FBI and DHS stated that groups such as the ISIS terrorist group might “seek to exploit increased gatherings associated” with Pride-related events, potentially targeting these events through mail, in person, or online attacks without providing specific details.