US embassy in Venezuela advises travellers to leave country

The US embassy in Venezuela has stated that US citizens in the country should leave “now”, and “take precautions and be aware of their surroundings” in the meantime.

The advice, issued on 6 January, highlighted that Venezuela currently has the highest travel advisory level issued by the US State Department – level 4: do not travel, due to the severe risks faced by American citizens in the country.

It cited a State Department advisory issued on 3 December that potential risks to travellers include “wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure”.

The embassy also stated that there were reports of intermittent power and utility outages throughout the country, and that all diplomatic personnel were withdrawn from the country in 2019, with routine and emergency consular services still suspended.

The bulletin follows the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by US forces on 3 January, under allegations of narco-terrorism and cocaine importation conspiracy. Maduro, who appeared in a federal court in New York on 5 January, is pleading not guilty.

The military operation also caused significant disruption to flights in and out of the Caribbean during a period of heavy travel, with hundreds of flight cancellations reported by US airlines to and from destinations such as Aruba, Cuba, and the US Virgin Islands.

Dutch airline KLM also announced the cancellation of a number of flights on the same day, with around 2,600 passengers affected. The airline said that it is committed to getting all travellers to their destination within a few days.

Insurance firm InsureMyTrip also reported that it believes close to 1,000 of its customers may be directly impacted by the flight disruption.

The US Travel Association reported that international visitors to the US declined from around 79 million arrivals in 2019 to around 68 million in 2025.