MEA advises Indians to avoid non-essential travel to Venezuela

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday advised Indian nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela in view of recent developments in the South American country and the rapidly evolving security situation there.

In an advisory issued through its media centre, the MEA urged Indian citizens to exercise heightened caution, though it did not spell out specific reasons for the warning.

"Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela," the advisory said.

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The MEA also issued specific guidance for Indians already present in Venezuela, advising them to remain vigilant, restrict their movements, and stay in regular contact with the Embassy of India in Caracas.

"All Indians who are in Venezuela for any reason are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements, and remain in contact with the Embassy of India in Caracas," it said.

To facilitate assistance, the MEA shared contact details of the Indian mission, asking Indian nationals to reach out via the official email ID cons.caracas@mea.gov.in for consular support or updates. In emergencies, Indians have been advised to contact the embassy on +58-424-9848288, which is also available for WhatsApp calls.

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The advisory comes amid heightened tensions in Venezuela following dramatic developments involving the country's leadership. Earlier, US President Donald Trump confirmed that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife were taken out of Venezuela by helicopter and transported to the USS Iwo Jima, a US warship operating in the Caribbean.

The United States carried out strikes on Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro, along with his wife, Cilia Flores, who were flown out of the country.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that America would run Venezuela until a safe, proper and judicious transition is ensured.

He made the remarks during a press conference from Palm Beach, Florida as he briefed on the American strikes on Venezuela.

Noting that the United States' action in Venezuela was "one of the most stunning, effective, and powerful displays of American military might and competence in American history", President Donald Trump said on Saturday that no nation in the world could achieve what America achieved.

Trump said US companies will fix the broken oil infrastructure in Venezuela.

"As everyone knows, the oil business in Venezuela has been a bust, a total bust for a long period of time. They were pumping almost nothing by comparison to what they could have been pumping and what could have taken place. We're going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country."

The US President said his administration wants "peace, justice and liberty for the great people of Venezuela".

"We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition. We want peace, justice and liberty for the great people of Venezuela... We can't take a chance if somebody else takes over Venezuela, doesn't have the good of Venezuelan people in mind. We're not going to let that happen. We are there now but we are going to stay until such time till proper transition takes place. We're going to run it essentially until such time," he said.