U.S. reissues ‘do not travel’ warning to this popular South American destination for terrorism and kidnapping risk

The U.S. Department of State is telling Americans to steer clear of this popular South American destination as the summer travel season kicks off.

The State Department reissued a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” advisory, the highest classification of travel warnings, due to “crime, civil unrest, kidnapping, and the arbitrary enforcement of local laws” in Venezuela.

“Reconsider travel due to wrongful detentions, terrorism and poor health infrastructure,” the advisory continues.

Violent crimes such as kidnappings, armed robbery, carjacking and homicide are common in Venezuela. There is also a “high risk” that Americans could be wrongfully detained.

Political rallies, often against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, are common in the region and occur without notice. Maduro is seeking a third term in office in the country’s July elections.

Under Maduro’s tenure as president, millions of people have fallen into poverty and more than 7.7 million others have tried to flee the country, according to The Associated Press.

Here are a few of the precautions the State Department urges Americans to follow, if they decide to travel to Venezuela:

• Avoid all land border crossings into Venezuela on the Colombian border.
• Ensure you have a valid Venezuelan visa because visas are not available upon arrival.
• Be prepared for the high risk of indefinite detention without consular access.
• Draft a will and designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries and/or power of attorney.
• Develop a communication plan with family and/or your employer or host organization and a “proof of life” protocol with your loved ones in case you are taken hostage.
• Have a contingency plan in place that does not rely on U.S. government assistance.
• Consider purchasing medical evacuation insurance.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.

You can find more guidance from the State Department while traveling in Venezuela and other high-risk areas here.

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Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.