MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Caracas warns against US travel

Jorge Rodríguez likened Washington's measure to a “vulgar kidnapping”

Venezuela's Bolivarian Government issued earlier this week a travel advisory warning its citizens against visiting the United States following Washington's deportation of many Tren de Aragua gang members to El Salvador's maximum security Cecot prison.

A statement from Caracas' Foreign Ministry mentioned the risks when traveling to or residing in the United States. The statement highlights increased arbitrary immigration controls, harassment, detentions without cause, deportations, confiscation of property, and discriminatory treatment by US authorities. It also notes cases of imprisonment without due process and transfers to third-country prisons, such as the recent deportation of 238 Venezuelans to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador under the US Alien Enemies Act, which National Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodríguez dubbed a “vulgar kidnapping.”

The Chavista administration also recommended caution due to rising violence and rights-restricting regulations in the US, pledging to protect its migrants and calling for international attention to these practices. “We reaffirm our commitment to the protection of Venezuelan migrants and will continue to denounce any violation of their rights,” the Foreign Ministry's statement read.

“In recent months, there has been an increase in arbitrary migration control measures and harassment policies against Venezuelan men and women,” the document signed by Foreign Minister Yván Gil went on.

“There have been documented cases of arbitrary detentions, deportations without cause, confiscation of property and documents, as well as discriminatory and humiliating treatment by US authorities” leading to “imprisonment without due process and kidnapping in prisons in third countries,” it further expressed.

As per Washington's decision, all Venezuelans over 14 years of age who belong to the Aragua Train - an organization born in a prison in the South American country and designated a terrorist organization by the White House -, who are in the US and are not naturalized or legal permanent residents, are subject to be detained, held and expelled.