US and Australia issues severe ‘Do not travel’ warning for this Caribbean country

Australia has joined the United States in renewing a desperate advisory to this nation as ongoing threats of terrorism and civil unrest erupt.

A man wandering the streets of Caracas in Venezuela, which has received a renewed ‘Do Not Travel’ warning. Picture: Juan BARRETO / AFP.

Don’t even go there.

Australia has joined the United States in renewing a desperate advisory to a chaos-stricken nation as ongoing threats of terrorism and civil unrest erupt.

Overnight, the US renewed its “Do not travel” warning for Venezuela, urging American travellers to understand that their government “has no ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens” who run into trouble.

Officials blamed the notice — the most severe the Department of State can issue — on civil unrest, a “slide towards dictatorship,” ongoing threats of terrorism, and anti-American bias.

“Violent crimes, such as homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, and carjacking, are common in Venezuela,” the agency added.

The United States has renewed its “Do not travel” warning for Venezuela. Picture: Federico Parra / AFP.

The threat is so dire that the US government advises travellers who insist on going to first “establish a ‘proof of life’ protocol with your loved ones.

“If you are taken hostage, your loved ones know specific questions (and answers) to ask the hostage-takers to be sure that you are alive (and to rule out a hoax),” officials explained.

“The Department has determined there is a high risk of wrongful detention of U.S. nationals in Venezuela. Security forces have detained U.S. citizens for up to five years,” the agency added, warning that the American government is hardly notified or allowed access to incarcerated nationals.

Australian travellers are also under the same extreme travel advisory from Smartraveller, which updated its ‘Do Not Travel’ warning on May 2.

The advisory said the department had “reviewed” its advice for Venezuela and “continue to advise do not travel”.

“The political and economic situation continues to be unstable,” the most recent release said.

“There are high levels of violent crime and the risk of shortages of food, water, medicine and petrol continues.”

The threat is so dire that the US government advises travellers who insist on going to first “establish a ‘proof of life’ protocol. Picture: Federico PARRA / AFP.

Smartraveller has also advised Australia to not travel to Venezuela. Picture: Ivan Reyes / AFP.

The country is known for its areas of largely undeveloped Caribbean coastline and pristine adjacent islands.

Those numbers began to drop off, eventually going into sharp decline, when Nicolás Maduro rose to power following the death of the iron-fisted Hugo Chávez in 2013.

Of the most recent election, the State Department said Maduro “illegally claimed the presidency of Venezuela, despite global condemnation of a rigged election” and is moving the country towards dictatorship.

Reminiscent of Chávez, Maduro is strengthening “alliances with outside nations including Cuba, Russia, Iran, and China, that repress the Venezuelan people further.”

The new warning for the US, which was originally issued in 2019 when the US began pulling personnel from Venezuela, was reissued on May 13.

Areas such as Caracas, pictured here were man observes food prices, has been listed as one of the more concerning areas for visitors. Picture: Juan BARRETO / AFP.

It comes ahead of a July election that the fate of the South American nation depends on.

“Political rallies and demonstrations occur, often with little notice. Anti-Maduro demonstrations have elicited a strong police and security force response,” the US department added, “including the use of tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets against participants.

These events “occasionally devolve into looting and vandalism,” they said.

Additionally, Venezuela is enduring a crisis of shortages that include, water, gasoline, electricity, and medicine.

The travel advisories comes ahead of a July election that the fate of the South American nation depends on. Picture: JUAN BARRETO / AFP.

Worse, terror groups from neighbouring Colombia are highly active in the border regions.

According to Smartraveller, crime rates are at the highest in Caracas, including in central Caracas, Sabana Grande district, Avila National Park, the Maiquetia Simon Bolivar Airport area, and the road between the airport and Caracas as well as ‘barrios’ or ‘ranchitos’ slum areas, especially after dark

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and has been republished with permission