Last week the US government officially prohibited all passenger and cargo planes from flying to Venezuela, citing safety concerns for flight passengers and crew. How did this South American country become one of the continent’s most isolated, and what does this mean for Venezuela, the country’s economy and its tourism industry?
Angel Falls in Venezuela. Image by ©alicenerr/Getty Images
Venezuela’s economic freefall
While the country is home to one of the largest oil reserves in the world, Venezuela has found itself in a years-long economic crisis thanks to a number of factors including mismanagement of oil funds, a large drop in global oil prices, failing currency control measures and pervasive corruption.
Since then, the country’s citizens have experienced severe food, water and medicine shortages, along with skyrocketing inflation rates that have hit as much as 2.6 million percent, effectively rendering local currency worthless to citizens and international visitors alike. The resulting crisis has led almost 3.5 million Venezuelans to flee the country since 2014 in hopes of finding economic security and access to healthcare elsewhere.
Venezuelan migrant Javier Ceballos, who paints Venezuelan Bolivar bills for a living, holds a roll of bills in a street in Bogota, Colombia. Image by IVAN VALENCIA/AFP/Getty Images
Venezuelan political instability
President Nicolas Maduro became president in 2013 after the death of Hugo Chavez. Previously Chavez’ deputy, Maduro’s policies mirrored those of his predecessor, and his presidency has mainly been defined by his efforts to suppress political opposition. In early 2018, Maduro won a presidential election that was deemed fraudulent by the international community; shortly before Maduro’s inauguration in January of 2019, opposition leader Juan Guaidó assumed leadership of the National Assembly and disputed Maduro’s claim to power. Guaidó was then declared interim president of Venezuela at an opposition rally a few weeks later.
Dozens of countries and political entities across the international community, including the US and the EU, have recognized Guaidó as Venezuela’s president, though Maduro still has support from much of Venezuela’s military as well as countries including Russia and China. In April, political tensions came to a head as violence broke out in the capital city Caracas. Guaidó called for civilians and military to rise up in what he called the “final phase” of ousting Maduro from the presidency. The clashes ended with Maduro still in power and the country in a political standoff.
Traveling to Venezuela
Unsurprisingly, Venezuela’s tourism industry has become mostly inert due to the massive shortages, violent crime and political instability throughout the country. Many US airlines had stopped their routes to Venezuela even before the US government’s mandate, with American Airlines remaining the lone service running directly between the countries. While direct flights from the US are no longer possible, some carriers still run connecting flights into Venezuela. Similarly, some foreign tour operators are also still booking tours to its natural attractions, though many international state departments advise against all but essential travel due to security concerns.
If you’re considering traveling to Venezuela, we do not recommend going independently. Do your research regarding your tour operator’s safety procedures and stay across all travel news and warnings before your departure.
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