A view of Casa Amarilla, headquarters of the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. File photo.
On Saturday night, Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement after the @TravelGov account on X, which is administered by the US State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, called on US citizens in Venezuela to leave the country immediately, and to be wary of “colectivos,” which, according to the US, “setting up roadblocks and searching vehicles for evidence of U.S. citizenship or support for the United States.”
The statement released by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry on January 1o reads as follows:
The Ministry of Popular Power for Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela notes that the security alert issued by the United States Department of State concerning our country is based on non-existent stories intended to fabricate a perception of risk that does not exist.
Venezuela is in absolute calm, peace, and stability. All population centers, communication routes, checkpoints, and security installations are operating normally. All of the Republic’s weapons are under the control of the Bolivarian government, the sole guarantor of the legitimate monopoly on force and the tranquility of the Venezuelan people.
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reaffirms its commitment to protecting peace, institutional stability, and the coexistence of the Venezuelan people.
Previously, the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs and the US Embassy in Venezuela issued the following advisory:
Venezuela: The security situation in Venezuela remains fluid. As international flights have resumed, U.S. citizens in Venezuela should leave the country immediately. Before departure, U.S. citizens should take precautions and be aware of their surroundings. 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. Remain vigilant and exercise caution when traveling by road. Monitor airlines’ communications and websites for updated information.
Venezuela has the highest Travel Advisory level – Level 4: Do Not Travel – due to severe risks to Americans, including wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure. Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.gov to receive security updates.
The ‘Donroe Doctrine’: When Sanctions Fail, US Imperialism Wages War on Venezuela
President Maduro sends message to the nation from US prison
On Saturday, Venezuelan National Assembly Deputy Nicolás Maduro Guerra, the son of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, announced at a meeting of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) that his father had sent a message through his lawyers, stating that he and his wife, Cilia Flores, are doing well.
“The lawyers have told us that he is strong; he told us not to be sad,” Maduro Guerra said. “‘We are fine, we are fighters,’ my father said.”
“My father is a man whom they could not defeat by any means and had to use disproportionate force against. They have not defeated him; he is strong,” he added.
The Venezuelan president and the first lady were abducted by the United States in the early morning of January 3, in Caracas, through a bloody military operation in which over one hundred people died, including civilians and soldiers, and a similar number of people were wounded.
(Alba Ciudad) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SF
