The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has expanded its highest-level travel warning for Venezuela, now advising against all travel to the Amazonas state. This update also includes a warning against all travel to areas within 25 miles of Venezuela’s border with Colombia.
Existing travel warnings remain in place for other parts of Venezuela, including Zulia state, Maracaibo, and the eastern shore of Lake Maracaibo. The FCDO stated on Wednesday that British nationals already in Venezuela should be prepared to change plans quickly and have a personal emergency plan that does not rely on UK government support.
The FCDO warns that drug traffickers and illegal armed groups are active along Venezuela’s borders with Colombia, Brazil, and Guyana. These groups are also involved in criminal activities in the Orinoco Mining Arc region, south of the Orinoco river, affecting multiple municipalities. Delta Amacuro is also cited for drug traffickers and active illegal armed groups, with reports of armed groups, crime, and violence in Zulia.
While travelling to a country with an FCDO 'do not travel' advisory is not illegal, it could invalidate travel insurance. The FCDO issues such advisories when it deems the risk to British nationals unacceptably high, citing reasons such as armed conflict, civil unrest, or disease outbreaks. Consular access and support for British nationals in Venezuela may be severely limited.