Location: Venezuela, Colombia
Do not travel to Venezuela due to the high risk of wrongful detentions, terrorism, kidnapping, the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure.
U.S. citizens in Venezuela should depart immediately.
Venezuelan Border: The U.S. Department of State has categorized Venezuela as Level 4: Do Not Travel due to crime, civil unrest, poor health infrastructure, kidnapping, and the arrest and detention of U.S. citizens without due process or fair trial guarantees. U.S. citizens are at risk of detention when crossing into Venezuela from Colombia, and remain at risk of detention anywhere in the country. The Colombia-Venezuela border is not clearly marked in many locations. U.S. citizens in Colombia should not go near the border due to the risk of crossing into Venezuela accidentally and being detained for illegal entry.
Do not attempt to enter Venezuela without a visa. Visas are not available upon arrival. U.S. citizens attempting to enter Venezuela without a visa and those lawfully admitted to Venezuela have been charged with terrorism and other serious crimes and detained for long periods. Venezuelan authorities do not notify the U.S. government of the detention of U.S. citizens and the U.S. government is not granted access to those citizens.
In March 2019, the U.S. Department of State withdrew all diplomatic personnel from U.S. Embassy Caracas and suspended operations. All consular services, routine and emergency, remain suspended until further notice. The U.S. government has no ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Venezuela.
The U.S. Department of State recommends that U.S. citizens in Venezuela leave immediately.
Actions to Take:
- Do not travel to Venezuela.
- U.S. citizens in Venezuela should depart immediately.
- Avoid the Colombia-Venezuela border.
- Do not attempt to enter Venezuela without a visa.
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