Is Venezuela Safe for Tourists to Visit in 2025?
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We asked this question a lot during our 9-month South America trip. Is Venezuela safe for tourists to visit?
And you would be surprised to hear, the answer is yes. Although you do need to be cautious here, and I would not advise Venezuela as a beginner travel destination, for reasons I will deep dive into later on.
Search online, and you will find a combination of overly-cautious government websites, which generally exaggerate dangers in any country, and outdated forum posts telling you that Venezuela is essentially a failed state where you will most likely be shot within minutes of stepping outside.
The truth is, that in the not-too-distant past, Venezuela was incredibly dangerous, and these old forum posts were accurate at the time.
But a lot has changed. We spoke to locals and recent travellers before going, and they all told us Venezuela was safe for tourists now. It turns out that the dark days havenโt been so prevalent since 2021. Over the last 4 years, the situation has massively improved. I didnโt find Venezuela any less safe than some other South American countries, and Iโve been to all of them.
I even visited Petare, known as the โworldโs most dangerous slumโ. I wouldnโt recommend going there without a guide or at night, and would certainly stop short of calling it โsafeโ, but whilst it had an edge to it, I never felt in imminent danger.
In this post I will dive into why Venezuela is now safe for tourists, what changed, and what precautions tourists should take before visiting.
I will add that Venezuela is a country where you may receive limited consular support if things do go wrong. Many travel insurance companies do not cover Venezuela as government advisories still consider it to be a risky destination, and healthcare standards are inadequate in this country.
Venezuela is one of my favourite countries in the world, but itโs definitely not a South America beginner destination.
Why Does Venezuela Have a Reputation for Being Dangerous?
There is not one single reason why Venezuela became a dangerous country over the past 25 years. It was a multitude of many things taking place that landed the country in this position.
In 1999, Venezuela elected Hugo Chavez as president. Chavez was a socialist revolutionary who made false promises to the Venezuelan people that he would improve their lives.
Socialism plunged oil-rich Venezuela from being South Americaโs most prosperous country, to its poorest.
Chavez nationalised many industries leading to a lack of investment from private entities, he spent heavily on the public sector, and seized private properties including the wonderful Hato El Cedral which even has a statue of Chavez standing at the entrance.
Chavez has also been linked to the embezzlement of hundreds of billions of dollars, with corruption a key factor in much of Venezuelaโs cash disappearing.
Chavezโs successor Nicolas Maduro was no better, and locals told me during our time in Caracas that pensioners earn as little as US$2 a month, many workers may not earn more than US$5 a day, and even โrichโ workers will only make up to US$400 a month.
This extreme poverty pushed many Venezuelans into crime. After all, when we tourists bring a mere US$10 bill into the country, we are carrying the equivalent of 2 monthsโ wages for many.
Mass hyperinflation saw the Venezuelan bolivar become worthless. Things became so bad, that the original bolivar (which was scrapped after the government knocked a few zeroes off and released a new bolivarโฆ on three occasions) had virtually zero value, with US$1 today being the equivalent to 100 trillion original bolivars.
This also led to crime increases, as basic groceries became unaffordable, and the country descended into chaos and desperation. With single food products costing a monthโs wages for many, theft became a part of everyday life in the country for many.
Corruption also played its part. Maduroโs government is propped up by the military, who support him knowing they face torture or death if they oppose him. Support from armed soldiers has made Maduro practically invincible, and he and his allies have stolen billions of public funds, just like Chavez beforehand.
On a much lower level, the police are corrupt and have been known to force tourists to pay bribes for fictional โcrimesโ. Our Caracas Airbnb hostโs former guest was held for over an hour on the way to Hato El Cedral by police who tried to shake him down for bribes. He got away without paying in the end, but we heard how this experience was pretty intense for him.
Police earn very little in Venezuela, which means threatening people with arrest unless they pay bribes is a lucrative source of income for many.
All of the above resulted in an essentially lawless state, where gun crime was rife, and locals would go to work on a Monday discussing the latest of their colleagues to be kidnapped or killed.
Suddenly my old office job life where colleagues came in and talked about subjects as boring as โLove Islandโ or the Kardashians doesnโt seem so bad after allโฆ
In 2013, there were over 24,000 murders in Venezuela, which gives you an idea of how bad things were.
The good news is that Venezuelaโs homicide rate has been declining for several years and whilst itโs no Singapore, the country is much safer today.
Kidnappings were another reason why the country became so dangerous. Chavez released numerous dangerous prisoners onto the streets as part of his social justice reforms.
Criminals being released en masse, combined with a corrupt police force that couldnโt be trusted, led to Venezuela becoming the worldโs kidnapping capital in 2013.
Under Chavez, Venezuela became effectively lawless, with the majority of murderers never being caught. Since Nicolas Maduro took charge after Chavez died in 2013, things got better for locals, but they got worse for the first few years, and itโs only since 2021 that the country has seen real progress on the crime front.
Even then, there have still been some serious dangers that foreign tourists to Venezuela have faced.
Several foreigners have been arrested and detained by the Venezuelan authorities in 2024 and 2025, mostly between the July 2024 election which Maduro falsely claimed to win, and his January 2025 inauguration.
Many of these foreigners were innocent people, who had a background Venezuela didnโt like (being in the military being the most common), and they were falsely accused of being mercenaries or spies. Holders of US passports also seemed to be at greater risk.
It can be hard to find consular assistance in this situation.
Hereโs a recent example of foreigners being arrested in the country.
I will later talk about how you can prove that your intentions for visiting Venezuela are innocent, and avoid becoming a victim yourself.
Lastly, Venezuela has a pretty terrible health care system these days. The socialist years which led to economic collapse meant that Venezuela ran out of money to adequately fund hospitals and emergency services. Many doctors either left work due to poor conditions, or fled abroad for a better life.
As a result, Venezuela became a country where you are unlikely to receive a high standard of care if something goes wrong.
What Makes Venezuela Safe to Visit in 2025?
Two things changed which have made Venezuela a much safer country since the end of the darkest days in 2021.
The first is pretty ironic. And that is the fact that many criminals fled the country because there was little left to steal.
The situation became so awful that pretty much anyone with money had either fled the country, or already lost it to the criminals.
Banks became empty, businesses and individuals had little money left, if any, and the destruction of the Venezuelan bolivar meant that even if you did find someone with a lot of money, that money was practically worthless.
Many Venezuelan villains have spread across the Americas from neighbouring Colombia and Brazil, to nearby Ecuador, all the way up to the USA.
Speaking of the latter, the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua has made the news often in stories related to President Trumpโs mass deportation drive.
Locals told us when we went to a bar in Caracas that they were wary of criminals being deported back to Venezuela and ending up on the streets again.
Time will tell if their fears turn out to be accurate or not.
The second reason for the reduction in crime was a major police crackdown on violent crimeโฆ which quickly got out of hand and resulted in the deaths of many innocent people alongside the bad guysโฆ
In 2015, Maduro deployed police forces alongside the national guard in what was known as โOperacion de Liberacion del Puebloโ which was one of his policy changes that gave police more power.
As a result, โdeaths categorised as resistance to authorityโ trebled the following year, and remained around the 4,500-5,200 mark until 2020 before dropping down to just over 1,200 in 2022.
Now this had both positive and negative consequences.
The police became more trigger-happy, safe in the knowledge that they would get away with just about anything as long as they remained loyal to Maduro. And this wiped out many of the criminals causing chaos not just across Caracas, but Venezuela on the whole.
On the downside, they didnโt just shoot criminals, but innocent people too. And Maduroโs thugs didnโt care who was caught in the crossfire.
A tragic story for many locals, but the knock-on impact for tourists has been more positive, with Venezuela becoming a country you can visit nowadays without worrying about criminals holding a gun to your head the moment you step out the airport.
I heard in the weeks leading up to our trip that Venezuela was much safer now. And sure enough, we felt the same way when we arrived, and locals confirmed our beliefs.
Caution is still required for a Venezuela trip. However, this is no longer the no-go zone it was in the not-too-distant past.
It doesnโt rank towards the bottom of South Americaโs safest countries to visit.
What Dangers Should I be Aware of in Venezuela Right Now?
In many countries, criminals are the biggest threat, and the police are there to protect you. In Venezuela, the police and authorities are perhaps the greatest threat to your safety.
Between July 2024 (election day) and January 2025 (Maduroโs inauguration), the government became paranoid about attempts to overthrow the dictator, who falsely declared victory in the election.
As a result, many foreigners were detained and tortured in Venezuelan jails, falsely accused of being โspiesโ or โmercenariesโ looking to topple Maduro.
Now in many cases, if not all, this was complete nonsense. Many of these guys in jail had Venezuelan wives, girlfriends or other family members. Others had careers which made the authorities suspicious such as being in the police, journalism or (worst of all) the military. And US passports were another red flag in the eyes of Maduroโs henchmen.
As a result, government detention is the biggest threat to foreign tourists in Venezuela today. Although if you have a clear itinerary as I will cover in the next section, and your job doesnโt raise any red flags, you should be okay.
Besides, Iโm not aware of any tourists being detained post-inauguration on January 10th 2025.
Elsewhere, crime is still something to be wary of in Venezuela. Sure, things have changed and itโs no worse than in many other Latin American countries now. However that doesnโt mean you should let your guard down and treat this like a trip to Tokyo. Follow basic travel safety precautions and you should be fine.
Corrupt police do pose a threat to tourists, often in the form of bribery. There have been reports of foreign visitors being stopped for no good reason, and threatened with arrest if they donโt pay up.
Our Airbnb host in Caracas previously had a Slovenian guest who took local buses to go on safari at the magical Hato El Cedral.
By going on local buses, he was held by police for an hour who insisted he gave them bribes. He held his ground and was eventually let go without paying up, but other dodgy officials may not be so willing to give up.
Whilst we spent a week in Venezuela with no police interaction, we would advise bringing lots of small dollar bills, not just because it is hard to receive the exact change in Venezuela, but also to bribe officials if needed to get you off the hook.
Poor infrastructure is a danger you may not think of straight away, but itโs something you should be wary of.
Venezuelaโs financial problems mean a lot of the infrastructure is dilapidated and no longer in a safe condition to use. One example would be the local buses in Caracas.
Most buses are heavily bashed up, many with smashed windows or in the case of one I took in Petare, a giant hole in the windscreen.
We almost took a local bus to San Fernando de Apure, and I was sat in the window seat right next to a giant hole in the metal lining of the bus, which effectively meant I was sat next to a razor blade. One of many reasons why we opted against taking that bus in the endโฆ
Lastly, extreme weather is something to be aware of. During our safari trip to Los Llanos, the heat was scorching and we needed a lot of water to avoid dehydration.
Venezuela does have a history of earthquakes, although these are not common with only one deadly quake since 1997.
The country is home to one of the worldโs greatest weather phenomenons: the Catatumbo Lightning. This occurs where the Catatumbo River meets Lake Maracaibo, and has been known to cause a handful of deaths each year, mostly of fishermen who go out into the lakeโฆ If you do go to watch the lightning, take care.
Although Iโd advise against that, because it is in one of the dodgier parts of Venezuela where drug gangs still operate and the authorities are wary of visitors.
What Precautions Should I Take When Visiting Venezuela to Stay Safe?
Venezuela isnโt the easiest country to travel in. You can visit safely, but you should take some extra precautions to do so. Hereโs what I recommend based on my own research before visiting, and our experience in the country itself.
I also recommend checking out my guide on what you need to know before visiting Venezuela.
Print Out a Clear Itinerary
Firstly, you need a clear itinerary with printouts of return flights and accommodation to show immigration when you arrive.
Venezuelan officials are paranoid about the intentions of foreigners. It may seem silly, but itโs up to you to convince them that you have no โbadโ intentions.
Whilst not officially one of the countryโs entry requirements, you should do this anyway to make your life a lot easier.
I printed out a 6-page document to show immigration when we first arrived for our one-week Venezuela trip.
The first page was a day-by-day itinerary translated into Spanish. The second was proof of our flight tickets to and from Venezuela.
The third page showed proof of our accomodation for our first night in Caracas. The fourth was screenshots of conversations with bus companies, showing intent to catch night buses to Hato El Cedral, explaining why we didnโt have accommodation booked for certain nights.
Page five was the itinerary we had been sent by Hato El Cedral for our safari adventure. And page six was proof of our accommodation in Caracas for our final two nights.
All screenshots I had taken from Google Lens, translating the writing on them from English to Spanish (unless they were already in Spanish).
We have heard of people being probed for 2+ hours by immigration when arriving in Caracas. Thanks to this itinerary and one other factor which I will cover next, we got through in ten minutes.
Go With a Spanish Speaker if You Arenโt Fluent Yourself
My second top tip would be to speak fluent Spanish, or go with someone who does. Alongside the itinerary, this is the second reason why we avoided many of the immigration problems others have had.
My girlfriend is Paraguayan, and therefore able to communicate with Venezuelans without any language barrier difficulties.
Venezuelaโs bus stations are a little more intense than those elsewhere in South America, and a Spanish speaker can negotiate ticket purchases without so much hassle.
They can also negotiate to get you out of any potential sticky situations with police. Although you can minimise police contact by travelling with a local and only getting the more expensive long-distance buses if you travel between cities.
But even a non-Venezuelan Spanish speaker canโt offer as much as if youโฆ
Have a Local Guide
We were nervous before visiting Caracas. No city we had ever been to has a reputation for being as dangerous as the Venezuelan capital.
Fortunately, we hit the jackpot by staying at this Airbnb with Antonio who didnโt just let us stay in his apartment, but also showed us around for several hours on the day we arrived, and offered daily US$20 tours within the city, which we took him up on twice.
By going with Antonio, we used the metro (which we had thought wouldnโt be safe) and even walked around the city after dark. A big no-no in many South American cities for safety reasons. But something we felt comfortable doing alongside a local.
I went one step further and visited the โworldโs most dangerous slumโ Petare with Antonio, something I never would have attempted without a guide.
You can visit Venezuela without a local guide, but having one around makes the country so much easier to visit. And they can often get you out of sticky situations if any occur due to their understanding of the local culture, and how things work.
Bring Lots of Cash (US Dollars)
Since the bolivar became worthless, Venezuela has tried to adapt by using the US dollar for most transactions.
With heavy sanctions from abroad, and a society that still highly values cash, Venezuela isnโt an easy place to use your card in, yet alone withdraw money.
As a result, you need to bring US dollars, and make sure you have enough to cover your entire stay.
Why is this a safety precaution? Well I hope you donโt get bribed by corrupt police officers, but in Venezuela we canโt rule this out. You should bring plenty of small bills to hand over in the worst case scenarios.
Also, if you run out of cash, you will be stranded and chances are your embassy wonโt help you. It may be difficult for friends and relatives to send money from abroad, so come prepared and stack up on dollars.
Just make sure you hide your cash well, and split it between various spots such as your purse/wallet, money belt, sections of your bag and other parts of your clothing where you can safely conceal money.
Follow Standard Latin America Safety Precautions
There are some things you should do to stay safe in any Latin American country, and Venezuela is no exception.
My solo travel safety guide covers all of them. But to go over the most important ones:
- Dress down. If you look scruffy, then you are less likely to be targeted by thieves. Wearing my ugly grey hiking trousers is a fantastic thief-repelent!
- Donโt get your phone out in the streets. Surprisingly, many Venezuelans did just this in Caracas. Many have cheap phones however, so donโt follow their lead. If you come in with a brand new iPhone, a single device you own is worth possibly even a decadeโs wages. So pop into a cafe, shop or restaurant to check directions if you need to.
- Lock your bags up. I use padlocks on my bags to keep them secure. This prevents people subtly opening them when my back is turned. On night buses, I use a cable lock to attach my bags to myself so they wonโt be stolen overnight. Not particularly comfortable, but it keeps them safe.
- Purchase an eSIM. Having internet connectivity is vital for navigation and problem-solving. My Airalo eSIM helped us work out exactly how to get around, especially in Caracas.
- Carry a dummy phone. Of course you donโt want to get robbed, but if it comes to it, make sure you have a low-value phone to give away. Iโve carried mine for years, and not yet had to use it. But if the worst does happen, then I donโt really care about losing my iPhone 5C with a smashed screen which hasnโt been able to turn on for 4 years.
My solo travel safety guide covers a lot more, and you should read that in detail before your Venezuela trip, regardless of whether you are a solo traveller or in a pair or group.
However, these tips are the most important to keep yourself safe and secure in this incredible South American country.
Is Caracas Safe to Visit?
Surprisingly, Caracas is fairly safe to visit now. You can walk around much of the city independently, most locals have their phones out in public, and some parts of the city are even safe at night.
Now Caracas is still Caracas, so a little caution is still required. Although I was surprised to find it was much safer than other Latin American cities I had been to in previous months such as Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Bogota.
Chacao and neighbouring Altamira are widely known as the safest and richest parts of Caracas. The majority of foreign embassies are based there.
Itโs a bit of a double-edged sword however, as a Venezuelan who fled the country to Colombia told me that these parts are ironically where you need to take extra precautions, because the criminals know that any significant money left in the country is likely to be held by people here.
We stayed in La Candelaria during our stay in Caracas. It felt very safe here, I saw hundreds (no exaggeration) of locals with their phones out at day and night. After dark, people danced in the main square (Plaza de la Juventud) and kids played football in the parks.
Personally, Iโd still advise caution with your phone here. Most phones that Venezuelans own are very cheap and worth little. If you have the latest iPhone and a criminal with a keen eye spots it, then you could be targeted.
I have a very old iPhone, but even that is worth a yearโs wages or more to the average Venezuelan. I took many pictures and videos at day and night in Caracas, but would always check my surroundings first, and never had it out in public unless it was necessary.
I would also go inside shops and restaurants to check maps if needed. I suggest you do the same.
One thing I noticed about the Airbnb apartment we stayed in, was just how secure it was.
You had to tap a key fob on two doors to get to the lift. Then when you reached the correct floor, you had to unlock a door with a physical key. To enter the apartment itself, you had to unlock two more doors. The first had metal bars just like a prison cell, and the second was a solid metal door similar to a bank vault.
Of course, different places will have different security systems. However, as with many Latin American cities with high crime rates, pretty much every building will have bars on the windows and highly secure doors, even if you donโt require five of them to access the building.
In Caracas, I also visited the โworldโs most dangerous slumโ Petare with our host. I would say that label, popularised by a Drew Binsky video using that title, does seem a little excessive nowadays. But I wouldnโt call Petare safe either.
This is one area of Caracas where you do require a little extra caution.
If you do visit Petare, it is easy to reach by metro, and the historic centre is relatively safe. Itโs the slum where you need to be careful. And you know youโve entered the slum when you see decrepit small houses stacked on top of each other, with electrical cables everywhere and dirt all over the streets.
Since Drew made his video in 2021, crime has decreased both in Petare and Caracas in general. However, I would still say you should never visit Petare at night, and even in the day, only enter the slums if you are with a trusted local guide.
Another thing about Caracas, is to be careful in the Distrito Capital area when taking photos. This is because itโs where a lot of government buildings and staunch supporters are located, and some may not like you snapping pictures of all the propaganda. I recommend only doing so with permission from a guide.
What are the Safest Places in Venezuela in 2025?
I would say Caracas is safe enough to visit nowadays without a particularly high risk of danger, assuming you take appropriate precautions. However, if the risk factor is understandably still too high for you in a country that still has many problems, there are some places in Venezuela where you can relax a lot more as crime rates are very low compared to the rest of the country.
Here are the three safest places to visit in Venezuela right now:
Los Llanos
My favourite place in Venezuela, and one I canโt recommend enough. Safari in Los Llanos is one of those raw travel experiences you cannot find in mainstream tourist hotspots like France, Italy or even Peru.
There are very few tourists here. Most Venezuelans canโt afford to visit, and most foreigners are dissuaded from visiting by the countryโs unsafe reputation.
Los Llanos are the plains of Venezuela. There are several ranches, known as hatos, where you can stay and enjoy a safari experience. And we stayed at Hato El Cedral, widely known to be the best of all due to its abundance of wildlife.
A month after visiting, we were incredibly disappointed by Boliviaโs pampas, because they felt like a much more inferior version of the amazing Hato El Cedral. And this Venezuelan safari spot had almost no other tourists which made it much more enjoyable.
Los Llanos is a very safe region, as itโs very remote and full of animals rather than thieves. Well, itโs safe if you donโt get too close to the many crocodiles that make their home here, but avoiding those comes down to common sense over anything else.
Angel Falls
Venezuelaโs most famous tourist attraction is the spectacular Angel Falls. And itโs cut off from the rest of the country, meaning it is separate from anywhere that criminals tend to be found.
You can only reach Angel Falls by flying to Canaima and taking a boat from there. There are no roads leading to this bucket list location.
Therefore it may as well be a different country compared to Caracas. Angel Falls is harder to reach from the Venezuelan capital than Madrid or Lisbon. These two European cities can be reached by a direct flight, whereas Angel Falls also requires a boat adventure to reach.
And you wouldnโt associate Madrid or Lisbon with criminals from Caracas and other Venezuelan cities linked to the capital by road, so why Angel Falls?
Isla Margarita
Margarita Island was once a popular Caribbean hotspot with tourists looking to get some sun. Venezuelaโs crime and economic problems saw the tourist industry collapse here, but there are still a few resorts up and running.
The resorts are very safe. Youโre stuck in a tourist bubble, cut off from the rest of the island and any problems it may have.
Crime isnโt non-existent on Isla Margarita, however it is still much lower than in many parts of the country.
Are There any Parts of Venezuela Still Unsafe to Visit?
Now whilst Venezuela is much safer than it was in the very recent past, that doesnโt mean you can let your guard down and treat this country like Japan or Singapore.
There are still some dodgy areas which should be avoided. The first of these is anywhere near the Colombian border.
Armed drug gangs operate on the Colombia/Venezuela border, and there are risks of getting caught up in the crossfire, even if you arenโt targeted specifically (which is no guarantee in this part of the country).
Even if you avoid the drug gangs, the police and immigration officers are known for being particularly corrupt on the borders. In fact, many of the tourists who were falsely detained by the authorities entered overland from Colombia and were thrown in jail.
One similar example is the case of Lucas Hunter, a traveller in Colombia who went too close to the Venezuelan border, was abducted by officials, and hasnโt been heard of since.
If you visit Venezuela, make sure you fly in and out of the country.
The Venezuela/Brazil borders are also risky. Whilst not as bad as the Colombia borders, criminals do operate in the areas close to Brazil, and the authorities still shouldnโt be trusted.
Some parts of Caracas can be quite dodgy at night. Petare is one place I strongly recommend avoiding after dark. In other areas, you should take advice from locals (and preferably go with them) to minimise risks.
We were told by staff at Hato El Cedral to go through San Fernando de Apure on the way down from Caracas, as the other option, Barinas has more crime.
My recommendation would be to only stick to the tourist hotspots in Venezuela. This is one country where you donโt want to be caught snooping around in the wrong places.
What do Government Travel Advisories Say About Travel in Venezuela?
I would never trust government advisories as your primary source of travel safety advice. They are often overly cautious which results in exaggerating danger a lot of the time.
I much prefer Facebook groups dedicated towards travelling in a specific country, or every country (my favourite travel resource for more advanced countries such as Venezuela is Every Passport Stamp).
Here is a quick overview on what government travel advisories have to say on visiting Venezuela:
United Kingdom
The UK says you should not travel to Venezuelaโs border regions with Colombia and Brazil at any cost. This is due to a risk of violence and kidnapping in these areas.
They mention how several foreigners have been detained since the July 2024 elections, and many have received zero consular services.
The UK also says how Venezuela has one of the highest murder rates in the world, and how armoured vehicles are common in Caracas, specifically stating usage after dark and for transport between the city and the airport.
This information is outdated. The route between Caracas and the airport was indeed a hotspot for armed robberies in recent years, however this no longer happens and the journey is pretty safe. Our local guide told us how these issues stopped because many of the criminals causing them were recruited by the governmentโฆ
The UK also advises avoiding the metro due to armed robberies. I can confirm that this is no longer something that happens, and this particular bit of advice is outdated. Of course, the risk is not zero, but we never had any issues on the metro during many trips, and locals tell us they no longer occur.
USA
The USA travel advisory covers similar topics such as danger near the borders and high crime.
It also says to avoid the Guyana border due to the risk of terror groups nearby. In practice however, the Venezuela/Guyana border is nothing but jungle with no roads, so you wonโt end up here even if you wanted to.
They also mention the outdated advice on avoiding travel between Caracas and the airport (Simon Bolivar International Airport) at night. We made that journey at 2:30am and there was no indication that anything bad may happen.
Of course, โnothing happened to us, therefore it must be safeโ is terrible travel advice. However, I am just adding my own personal experiences on top of what locals have told us.
The USA rightly advises against using taxis at the airport. They are unregulated and can be dangerous. At best they charge US$60 for a one-way rideโฆ Our Airbnb host picked us up for US$35. At worst, they could be used for kidnappings. Avoid at all costs.
Australia
Aside from what other advisories have already covered, Australia informs travellers that itโs illegal to take photos of anything related to the military as well as airports. This is good advice, as governments in dodgier countries have been known to arrest people taking pictures of areas they deem sensitive.
Another good point they make is to avoid making negative comments about the Venezuelan government on social media. This is a country where free speech is not respected and you could be arrested for saying something Maduroโs thugs donโt like.
I went through chats deleting any negative references to the country before visiting. They never searched my phone in the end, but that doesnโt mean they wonโt search yoursโฆ
Canada
On top of the other advisories, Canada suggests not mentioning the Essequibo conflict at all.
Essequibo is a region in Guyana which Venezuela claims as its own. Maduro has threatened to go to war in order to seize the area, and metro stations are full of propaganda posters depicting Essequibo as Venezuelan.
Avoid talking about it as there is a risk of arrest if you say anything deemed to be anti-Venezuela.
This probably wonโt affect you as a tourist, but Canada also states that there is a risk of piracy in the seas off Venezuelaโs northern coast.
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