The Biden administration is urging all American citizens to leave Venezuela without delay amid mounting reports that armed pro-regime militias are actively searching for U.S. nationals following the U.S. capture and arrest of former dictator Nicols Maduro.
According to WND, the U.S. Embassy in Caracas issued a security alert on Saturday warning that conditions in the country have deteriorated sharply. Officials advised Americans to depart immediately on commercial flights and strongly discouraged road travel, citing the presence of armed groups manning checkpoints and targeting perceived opponents of the socialist regime.
Before departure, U.S. citizens should take precautions and be aware of their surroundings, the State Department wrote. There are reports of groups of armed militias, known as colectivos, setting up roadblocks and searching vehicles for evidence of U.S. citizenship or support for the United States.
The warning follows the Jan. 3 operation in which U.S. forces apprehended Maduro and his wife to face narcoterrorism, drug trafficking, and firearms charges in New York. In the aftermath, Maduros vice president, Delcy Rodrguez, has been installed as president with the backing of the Trump administration.
Since Maduros arrest, rifle-toting civilian groups have been patrolling the streets of Caracas, menacing those believed to support the U.S. action, CBS News reported. These colectivos, long used by the regime as shock troops, now appear emboldened, further underscoring the dangers of remaining in a country where law and order are subordinated to ideological loyalty.
The State Department continues to classify Venezuela at its highest travel warning level, citing the high risk of wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure. This assessment reflects years of authoritarian consolidation under socialist rule, where basic rights, due process, and personal security have been routinely sacrificed to preserve the regime.
Responding to the U.S. alert, the Venezuelan foreign ministry dismissed the concerns in a social media statement, claiming the warning is based on fabricated accounts aimed at creating a perception of risk that does not exist. Venezuela is in absolute calm, peace, and stability, the ministry said, All populated centers, communication routes, checkpoints, and security devices are functioning normally, and all weapons of the Republic are under the control of the Bolivarian Government, the sole guarantor of the legitimate monopoly of force and the tranquility of the Venezuelan people.
In March 2019, the State Department withdrew all diplomatic personnel from the embassy in Caracas and suspended operations, a move that reflected the collapse of democratic institutions and the rise of a repressive security apparatus. That vacuum has left Americans in Venezuela with limited consular support, making the current warning even more urgent.
There is a very high risk of wrongful detention of Americans in Venezuela and security forces have detained U.S. citizens for up to five years without due process, the State Department has warned. According to former detainees, as well as independent human rights organizations, detainees have been subjected to torture and cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment, including severe beatings, prolonged restraint in stress positions, and waterboarding, according to the department.
President Trump said on Friday hes called off an expected second wave of strikes on Venezuela, saying the interim government is now working well with the U.S. on rebuilding its oil and gas infrastructure and releasing large numbers of prisoners. The president also said in the wake of the operation that the U.S. was considering reopening the embassy in Venezuela, and the administration is taking preliminary steps to do so, signaling that Washington sees a narrow opening to restore stability and push back against years of socialist misrule.
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