“More than any other country, more US citizens are now illegally detained in Venezuela,” the State Department warned.
The US State Department has issued a Level 4 “Non-Travel” advisory for American citizens visiting Venezuela, warning that there is an increasingly significant risk of illegal detention in South American countries.
Currently, there are no US embassies or consulates operating in Venezuela. As a result, the State Department said Venezuelan authorities would not notify the US government when American citizens are detained.
The department said “More than any other US citizens are currently detained in Venezuela more illegally than any other country.”
According to the State Department, South American countries do not allow US officials to visit detained Americans, and detainees are often denied access to lawyers or family members.
“Venezuelan security forces have detained US citizens for up to five years, under strict conditions including torture, based solely on US nationality or US passports,” the State Department said.
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“Dual citizenship, Venezuela visas, travel to Venezuela or work in Venezuela does not protect U.S. travelers,” a warning from the State Department said. “All Americans are at risk of being detained by the Maduro administration (Venezuelan President Nicolas).
American citizens currently in Venezuela are advised to leave soon.
“Anyone with US citizenship in Venezuela or any other US residency status should leave the country immediately, including people including passports in Venezuela or other foreign countries,” the State Department said. “Don’t travel to Venezuela for any reason.”
The deportation process saw Honduras serve as a stopover for Venezuelan deportation flights sent from the United States to Venezuela.
