Venezuela |
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Venezuela |
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Venezuela
Crime
Violent crime, including murder, armed robbery, kidnapping and car-jacking, occurs throughout Venezuela and has increased over the last year. Avoid city streets in central Caracas and the "Sabana Grande" area due to violent robberies and walking or driving in isolated areas, especially at night. Crime rates are higher in 'barrios' or 'ranchitos' (slum areas) and after dark. Tourist and resort areas may be targeted by criminal groups. There have been incidents of 'express kidnappings', where people are forced to withdraw funds from ATMs to secure their release. Victims have been killed or injured while resisting perpetrators' demands. Travellers have been robbed and assaulted after accepting "spiked" food and drink. Petty crime such as pick-pocketing is prevalent, particularly on public transport in Caracas. Thieves, sometimes armed, are known to target hotel rooms, safe deposit boxes and rental cars. Criminals are known to pose as taxi operators at the airport. Foreigners, including Australians, have been attacked and robbed. Licensed, radio-despatched taxis can be organised in advance by hotels or by telephone at the airport. If possible, arrange to arrive in Caracas during the day. Make the arrangements for transfer to your hotel before you arrive. Motorists have been robbed after stopping to assess damage caused by objects thrown from a bridge or overpass. Drive with doors locked and windows closed at all times.  Acarigua Barquisimeto Caracas - the capital. Ciudad Bolivar - stop-off point for flights to Angel Falls, and a comfortable stoppover on the way to Brazil. Ciudad Guayana - dominated by heavy industry, it is the main gateway to the Orinoco Delta and the Gran Sabana. Coro - the first capital of Venezuela and a city of rich colonial architecture and tourist attractiveness Maracaibo - Venezuela's second city, swelteringly hot and built on oil. Maracay - once the capital of Venezuela, now home to the main military garrison. Mérida - a charming university town in the Andes mountains, popular for outdoor activities. Puerto La Cruz - the main access point for many beaches in eastern Venezuela. Valencia - an affluent industrial city.  Among fast food are Arepas (the famous are Reina Pepiada and Domino), Hallacas (you can eat this on xmas), Cachapas (with a cheese called "telita" is delicious), also Empanadas (you can find them in any beach and in street stands, use your good judgement went you select a street place to eat) and the best "Perros Calientes"(Hot Dogs). The arepa is the most common Venezuelan food item. It's basically a biscuit that is made out of cornmeal and you can fill it in with any type of food that you want, carne mechada which is shredded beef and which tastes really good. It is called "comida criolla", or Creole food. For slow food, try delicious fish meals, or shrimp soup Cazuela de Mariscos. The traditional Venezuelan lunch is El Pabellón, but is not usually sell at restaurants, just in small family businesses, is mainly rice, black beans, and meat. You can also find nice sweets made mainly of sugar. Venezuelan chocolate is really good, specially from a bran named El Rey, they are not that cheap compared with other venezuelan prices but they are still cheap compared to American or European prices, and they are worth the extra expenditure.  Venezuela has its fair share of poverty and crime. It is necessary to be vigilant when in crowded cities, as pickpockets and muggers may be around. Most sections of large cities are not safe to walk at night. Stay in populated areas. Always travel by veichle in night. The outskirts of many cities are very poor and crime-ridden, and are not appropriate for tourists. When in doubt, ask local inhabitants or taxi drivers whether an area is safe or not. In general, if one looks like a (presumably wealthy) tourist, these sections of town should be avoided. It is advisable not to wear expensive jewelry or watches. Take care with taking pictures and unfolding maps in crowds. Pretend you know where you are going even if you aren't sure. Additionally, one must be wary of corrupt officials (police and National Guard). Some officials may demand bribes or otherwise extort travellers. Keep watch of your belongings at all times. Despite all these recommendations, one is usually quite safe in Venezuela if they apply a little common sense, and avoid looking overly wealthy when travelling. Women with big purses are recommended not to walk around alone. Tourists should avoid walking long distances in the towns and cities unless you know where you are going. If possible arrange vehicle transport. It is not advisable for tourists to walk through poor areas or shanty towns without a local guide. Above all, when you are in Venezuela it is very important to use common sense. If you follow the right precautions, you'll have no problem. Don't look at anybody the wrong way, and don't look too wealthy. In the sad event you do get mugged, by all means don't even try to put up resistance, most muggers in Venezuela carry firearms and don't hesitate to shoot at the slighest provocation, keep calm and give the mugger whatever he wants, failure to do so is quite often deadly, also, reporting a mugging to the police is seldom worth the trouble, it's best to forget it as muggers are only rarely caught 
We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Venezuela because of high levels of serious crime and ongoing political tensions. Pay close attention to your personal security at all times and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks. We strongly advise you not to travel to the border states of Bolivar, Amazonas, Apure, Tachira, Zulia and Barinas because the Colombian terrorist group, FARC, and narcotics gangs are active in these areas. Australia does not have an Embassy or Consulate in Venezuela. The Canadian Embassy in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, provides consular assistance to Australians in Venezuela (except the issue of passports). The Australian Embassy in Brazil can also assist Australians. Be a smart traveller. Before heading overseas: organise comprehensive travel insurance and check what circumstances and activities are not covered by your policy register your travel and contact details, so we can contact you in an emergency subscribe to this travel advice to receive free email updates each time it's reissued.  |
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