Venezuela

Venezuela: U.S. Says Airports May Not Meet International Standards

Date: September 11th, 2008 |

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned that Venezuela’s international airports may not be complying with security standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization because for the past two years officials have not been granted access to the country’s main international airports to assess their procedures. Warnings are now being posted at U.S. international [read more]

Venezuela: Pro- and Anti-Chavez Conflicts Likely to Continue Until Referendum

Date: November 15th, 2007 |

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Political tensions are high as pro- and anti-President Hugo Chavez demonstrators clashed with each other in Caracas several days after anti-Chavez students fought with security forces throughout the city. More demonstrations are planned for Nov. 26 and others could occur in the days leading up to a Dec. 2 referendum on constitutional reforms that will [read more]

Venezuela: Smooth Thefts in Luxury Hotels

Date: April 18th, 2007 |

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Thefts of briefcases, handbags and laptop computers can happen anywhere, but the case of two American businessmen in Caracas serves as a reminder to remain aware of your surroundings when carrying valuable possessions. They were sitting in the lobby of a five-star hotel when one placed his briefcase containing his computer on the floor next [read more]

Venezuela: Crime in Caracas, Airport Highway Closed

Date: June 2nd, 2006 |

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Caracas is considered the most crime-ridden city in Latin America after years of escalating violence, but it is hard to prove because the national police essentially shut down their media office two years ago and crime statistics are virtually nonexistent. Some analysts say this is because the police are involved in much of the high [read more]

Venezuela: Main Highway to Caracas Airport Closed Indefinitely

Date: January 10th, 2006 |

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The main highway that links Caracas with its Caribbean seaport and international airport has been closed, perhaps permanently, because a key bridge along the route developed structural fractures due to shifting land. Geologists have been warning since the 1980s that the bridge needed to be replaced but only stopgap measures were taken. Now the bridge [read more]

Venezuela: New Time Zone

Date: December 13th, 2007 |

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President Hugo Chavez moved Venezuela into a new time zone all its own Dec. 10 when he set back the official clock 30 minutes, making Venezuela unique in Latin America as the only country not setting its time in increments of one hour from Greenwich Mean Time. The country is now four and a half [read more]

Venezuela: Copa America Soccer Tournament, Safety

Date: June 27th, 2007 |

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The Copa America soccer tournament is underway through July 19 and will be attended by many thousands of visitors. Travelers are being asked to present proof of immunization against yellow fever and German measles on arrival. Health kiosks have been set up in the international airport arrivals area to vaccinate travelers who do not have [read more]

Venezuela: Surge of Highway Robberies between Caracas and International Airport

Date: July 11th, 2006 |

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Traveling between Caracas and Maiquetia International Airport can be dangerous, especially at night, because of bandits. According to the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuelan officials and media have reported a recent surge in robberies on the La Guaira highway after dark. The Embassy warning states, “the section of road between the first tunnel (Boqueron I) [read more]

Venezuela: Caracas Linked Again with Airport

Date: February 28th, 2006 |

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A new bypass route to link Caracas with its international airport opened Feb. 26, ending an almost two-month crisis that turned a 45-minute trip into a several-hour ordeal when a condemned bridge forced all traffic onto a twisting, single-lane road through high-crime areas. The 1.5 mile bypass should dramatically reduce travel time between the airport, [read more]

Venezuela: Express Kidnappings at Caracas’s International Airport

Date: August 30th, 2005 |

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Armed robberies of travelers inside and outside Caracas� Maiquetia Simon Bolivar International Airport have occurred with regularity the past several months, with the U.S. Embassy reporting at least one complaint per week from U.S. citizens who have been robbed. �Express kidnappings� also occur frequently. In an express kidnapping, a taxi driver persuades an arriving traveler [read more]