Wayzata World Factbook 1995/World Factbook - 1995 Edition - Wayzata Technology (1995).iso/mac/text/Build/tvltxt/VENEZUEL.TVL

Text File | 1994-12-07 | 7KB | 116 lines

Venezuela - Consular Information Sheet
September 2, 1994

Country Description:  Venezuela is a middle income country.  Its tourism
infrastructure varies in quality according to location and price.  Scheduled
air service and all weather roads, some poorly marked and congested around
urban centers, connect major cities and all regions of the country.

Entry Requirements:  A valid passport and a visa or tourist card are
required.  Tourist cards are issued on flights from the U.S. to Venezuela.
For current information concerning entry, tax, and customs requirements for
Venezuela, contact the Venezuelan Embassy at 1099 30th St., N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20007; tel: [phone], or the Consulates in Baltimore,
New York, Miami, Chicago, New Orleans, Boston, Houston, San Francisco, and
San Juan.

Areas of Instability:  Cross-border violence occurs frequently in remote
areas along the Colombian border in Zulia, Tachira, Apure and Amazonas
states.  A U.S. citizen was kidnapped from a fishing camp in southern Apure
state in February 1993.  Most recently, a bomb exploded in the Caracas
subway causing damage and minor injuries to passengers.  A corporate
aircraft was recently hijacked in Valencia with its passengers.  The
probable motives were kidnapping for ransom and/or use of the aircraft for
drug trafficking.  There have been no recent terrorist actions against
visitors.

Health and Medical Facilities:  The beaches near Caracas and Puerto La Cruz
are polluted.  Cholera is present in Venezuela; however, travelers who
follow proper precautions with food and drink are not usually at major risk.
 Dengue fever and malaria are endemic especially in the jungle and swampy
areas of the states of Amazonas, Apure, Bolivar and Delta Amacuro.

Good private hospitals and clinics provide U.S. level medical care at U.S.
level prices and often expect immediate cash payment.  U.S. medical
insurance is not always valid outside the United States.  The
Medicare/Medicaid program does not provide payment of medical services
outside the United States.  In some cases, medical insurance with specific
overseas and medical evacuation coverage has proven useful.  For additional
health information, travelers can contact the Centers for Disease Control's
international travelers hotline at [phone].

Crime Information:  Pickpockets are concentrated around crowded bus and
subway stations, along with the area around "Parque Simon Bolivar" near the
"Capitolio" downtown.  There have been cases of theft from hotel safe
deposit boxes.  The "Barrios" (the poor neighborhoods that cover the hills
around Caracas) and isolated urban parks such as "El Calvario" in the "El
Silencio" area of Caracas are dangerous.  Most criminals are armed with guns
or knives, and have used force.  There is also a potential for theft of
unattended valuables on the beach, from rental cars parked in isolated
areas, or on city streets.  A guarded garage is not always a guarantee
against theft.

Other Information: Sporadic political demonstrations occur in urban centers.
 These tend to focus near university campuses or secondary schools, and
sometimes turn violent.  Most tourist destinations, however, remain
unaffected.  The number and intensity of demonstrations have fluctuated
widely over the past several months.  Merida, a major tourist destination in
the Andes, is traditionally the scene of regular student demonstrations.
Travelers may keep informed of local developments by reading the local
newspapers ("The Daily Journal" is an English language daily newspaper),
following Spanish radio and TV and consulting their local hosts including
U.S. and Venezuelan business contacts, their hotels, tour guides, and travel
organizers for current information on demonstrations, the purpose and
location of which are usually known in advance.

Driving Information: Outside the major cities in rural areas, night driving
can be dangerous because of unmarked road damage/repairs, unlighted vehicles
and livestock.  Local drivers often disregard no passing lines and pass on
blind curves.  Passing on the right on divided highways and crossing
intersections on red lights are also common.  Stops at national guard and
local police road check points ("Alcabalas") are frequent and required.
Drivers should follow all national guard instructions and be prepared to
show vehicle and insurance papers and passports.  Cars may be searched.  In
1990, a U.S. citizen passenger in a car that resisted a search was shot and
killed by a soldier.  Very economical but less safe bus service is available
to most locations.

Drug Penalties: U.S. citizens are subject to the laws of the country in
which they are traveling.  Penalties for possession, use and trafficking in
illegal drugs in Venezuela are strict and convicted offenders can expect
lengthy jail sentences and fines.  Prison conditions are abject.

Adoptions: The National Institute for Minors "Instituto Nacional Del Menor"
(INAM) will not place a child under 5 years of age in an adoption abroad.
However, such minors can be adopted through private judicial procedures.
Adoption is generally possible only by couples who cannot have children.
Single persons cannot adopt.  Prospective adoptive parents should not accept
or take custody of any child for adoption and transfer to the U.S. without
assuring themselves that the child meets U.S. immigration requirements.
Consular officers cannot act as agents for U.S. citizens seeking to adopt in
Venezuela.  Additional information is available from the U.S. Embassy in
Caracas or the Office of Citizens Consular Services, CA/OCS/CCS, Room 4817,
Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20520, [phone].

Civil Aviation Oversight:  In September 1991, the U.S. Federal Aviation
Administration assessed Venezuela's civil aviation authority as in
compliance with international aviation safety oversight standards for
Venezuelan carriers operating to and from the U.S.  The same level of safety
oversight would typically be applied to operations to other destinations.
For further information, travelers may contact the Department of
Transportation at 1-800-322-7873.

Embassy Location/Registration: All U.S. citizens who register with the
Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy at Avenida Principal De La Floresta and
Avenida Francisco De Miranda, La Florests, telephones (58-2) 285-3111/2222,
fax [phone] may obtain updated information on travel and security
within Venezuela.  The Consulate in Maracaibo was closed in February, 1994.

No. 94-191

This replaces the Consular Information Sheet of June 27, 1994 to add
information on aviation oversight.