US Issues 'Do Not Travel' Warning to Venezuela

The United States has issued a travel warning to American citizens, urging them to not travel to Venezuela.

The advisory read: “Do not travel to Venezuela due to crime, civil unrest, poor health infrastructure, and arbitrary arrest and detention of U.S. citizens.”

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“On January 24, 2019, the Department ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members due to ongoing political instability,” it explained.

Venezuela has been in the news the last few years for violent crime, political rallies, and intense shortages of basic necessities like food, medicine, and supplies. With these things in mind, the advisory pointed out that “the U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens” in Venezuela.

This advisory comes a week after the Trump administration officially recognized the legitimacy of Venezuelan National Assembly leader Juan Guaido as acting president, increasing tensions between the U.S. and dictator Nicolas Maduro, who was re-elected to a second term after he jailed or barred opposition leaders from running against him.

Maduro responded by cutting diplomatic ties with the U.S. and ordering embassy staff to leave Venezuela, which most likely prompted the U.S. State Department to issue the vehement travel advisory.