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U.S. urges its citizens to leave Venezuela amid persecution by paramilitary groups loyal to Delcy Rodríguez

The presence of armed colectivos in the streets of Venezuela represents another clear demonstration of how the Rodriguez dictatorship has failed to establish control or stability in the country.

Venezuela's capital, Caracas, in an archive image.

Venezuela's capital, Caracas, in an archive image.Wikimedia Commons / Reindertot

Published by
Luis Francisco Orozco

The U.S. Embassy in Caracas noted thatthe Administration of President Donald Trump issued this Saturday a new security alert urging U.S. citizens in Venezuela to leave that country as soon as possible, after citing numerous security concerns that the dictatorship of Delcy Rodriguez has been unable to resolve and the impossibility of providing emergency assistance. In addition, the alert notes the active presence of paramilitary groups aligned with the dictatorship - known in Venezuela as colectivos armados - in the streets of several cities, where they are detaining and searching both citizens and vehicles in order to determine who has U.S. citizenship or has shown support for the U.S., in order to retaliate.

"U.S. citizens in Venezuela should leave the country immediately. 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," stated the security alert, which comes shortly after several international flight options resumed. "As international flights have resumed, U.S. citizens in Venezuela should leave the country immediately," the document detailed.

The State Department kept Venezuela on the highest level of travel warning

"In March 2019, the U.S. Department of State withdrew all diplomatic personnel from U.S. Embassy Caracas and suspended operations. The U.S. government continues to be unable to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Venezuela," noted the alert, which added: "Do not travel to Venezuela. U.S. citizens in Venezuela are advised to leave Venezuela as soon as they feel it is safe to do so."

On the other hand, the State Department maintained the South American country at the highest travel warning level by explaining in a statement that Venezuela remains at "Level 4: Do Not Travel" due to the numerous risks that Americans may face in that country. As the department explained, those risks include "wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure."

Chaos and instability

The presence of armed colectivos in the streets of Venezuela represents another clear example of how the Rodriguez dictatorship has failed to establish control or stability in the country, to the point of forcing the Trump Administration to issue such an alert, even though there currently appears to be an understanding between Washington and Caracas. Another example that has become evident in recent days has been the scarce number of political prisoners that have been officially released, which has exhibited in the crudest way the way in which part of the regime would not end up abiding by the orders given by the replacement of the tyrant Nicolás Maduro.

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