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US issues ‘Level 4 do not travel’ advisory for Venezuela after military strikes, warns Americans of ‘severe risk'
The US has issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory against Venezuela, warning citizens of potential wrongful detention, torture, and civil unrest.
The United States has issued a ‘Level 4’ Travel Advisory following its ‘large scale strike' against Venezuela, cautioning Americans against traveling to the South American country due to the risks of “wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure.”
A Level 4 Travel Advisory from the US, labeled as “Do not Travel,” represents the highest level of warning regarding travel advisories, signifying life-threatening risks.
The US administration, led by Donald Trump, stated in its travel advisory that all people with US citizenship or any form of US residency in Venezuela should depart the country immediately, including those traveling on Venezuelan or other foreign passports.
The US government stated that it has no means to reach US nationals who are detained in Venezuela, and those individuals are prohibited from contacting family members or independent legal counsel. It noted that independent human rights organizations have reported that detainees have experienced torture and cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment, including severe beatings, prolonged restraint in stress positions, and waterboarding, as reported by former detainees.
Security alert issued
The United States Embassy in Caracas has issued a security alert, stating that the US Embassy in Bogota is aware of reports concerning explosions occurring in and around Caracas, Venezuela.
“The U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, warns U.S. citizens not to travel to Venezuela. U.S. citizens in Venezuela should shelter in place,” stated the alert.
What happened in Venezuela?
Explosions and low-flying aircraft were reported in Caracas during the early hours of Saturday. In a statement, the government of Venezuela confirmed that the city had been attacked, along with three other states: Miranda, La Guaira, and Aragua.
Later, Donald Trump announced that the United States has “captured” Venezuela’s dictator, Nicolás Maduro, along with his wife, Cilia Flores, and transported them out of the South American nation following a pre-dawn assault on Caracas and its surrounding areas.
Following this, the Venezuelan government accused the US of initiating a series of attacks targeting both civilian and military sites within the South American country.
