Cruising Venezuela 2019

[OndinePLC]

The offshore islands from Tortuga westwards including Los Roques are not frequented by the pirates. They operate in small open boats from the coastal towns and the islands are too far out for them to reach.


If you have an American flag or passport you need a visa and you could run into deep caca from the authorities - even detention and confiscation of vessel.



You are supposed to check in at the Guard post on Gran Roque when visiting Roques and have to pay a park visiting permit. However it is a large archipelago, easy to get lost in and the natives are friendly. There is no water, fuel, or supplies to be had, but plenty of fish and lobster.
Cash dollars are very acceptable everywhere.


Las Aves atolls are great. There is nobody on Barlovento and only a small friendly guard post on Sotavento.


The situation on the mainland is very tense right now but but there could very likely be a major improvement in the near future, so don't rule it out if you are not in a hurry.



For a description of a couple of recent trips in the area read "Desperate Deliveries" by Cris Robinson available on Amazon e-books and paperbacks.

[TriggerHappy]

I have no experience but I do recall that Sailing La Vagabond went to Los Roques in their original leg (2015?) and didn't experience any issues, not even sure they checked in.

Having said that the conditions have deteriorated significantly since then. just a point of information if you haven't seen those episodes assume it is much worse plus they were Aussies as well...

I am in Risk management and to me it would definitely not be a go but this as others have said is based on your risk tolerance which would have to be bloody freak'n high to go to Venezuela right now!

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

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I have friends who were living and working in Iran right before the overthrow of the Shah. Everything seemed okay -- until suddenly it wasn't. Foreigners there seemed to be reasonably safe -- until suddenly they weren't. Luckily for them, they were actually in England visiting friends when everything went sideways. Others were not so lucky. A Canadian couple they knew, who lived next door to them, has never been heard from since.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

So true. I lived there from April 1975 to August 31, 1979. By the time we got to Brussels a week later after a short holiday in Greece, it had started. No one knew, even the CIA and we had hosted Richard Helms at one of our parties.
One of my ex-wife's friends borrow her wedding dress, married an Iranian and was never seen again. Nor was the dress.
One of the hostages was the superintendent of the Tehran American School who I knew from working on building a new heating system there.

Nasty stuff when it hits the fan.

[250224]

I don't think you can compare the situation in Brasil with Venezuela.

[zeehag]

this is from a friend who is living on isla margarita. she can no longer walk due to malnutrition. her family is dying off around her due to malnutrition. she can do nothing to help her own family.
this is real and desperate situation. her long rant was removed from fb as i tried to copy it for posting to the planet to read. i removed her name from this post i found by her so she wont experience repercussions. yes all communications are monitored.
if you believe the situation in vene to be fake or invented, please donot fall into that. it is real. the woman is in her 40s and unable to walk due to malnutrition. her mother is younger than am i and unable to get around due to malnutrition.
wanna cruise venezuela?? borders are closed except where vene citizens cross into colombia and brasil for much needed relief foodstuffs, aka bags of lentils, beans, rice. there are no medicines no supplies no hospitals. no nothing. is only becoming worse. the inflation rate is 10 million percent.

XXXXXXXX X XXXXXXX
Yesterday at 9:02 AM
JUST IN. They have confirmed that our air space and maritime space from and to Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire have been “closed”.

We get 80% of our black market items from these islands. They closed all the ways to get the humanitarian help in the country...and black market food and meds...they are going to starve us all to death here. The island is already in big trouble, with shelves empty all over.

Our friend XXXXXXX’s ships stop in Curacao before coming here...so do the cargo planes. ������ Dear Lord have mercy. ��

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by zeehag

this is from a friend who is living on isla margarita. she can no longer walk due to malnutrition. her family is dying off around her due to malnutrition. she can do nothing to help her own family.
this is real and desperate situation. her long rant was removed from fb as i tried to copy it for posting to the planet to read. i removed her name from this post i found by her so she wont experience repercussions. yes all communications are monitored.
if you believe the situation in vene to be fake or invented, please donot fall into that. it is real. the woman is in her 40s and unable to walk due to malnutrition. her mother is younger than am i and unable to get around due to malnutrition.
wanna cruise venezuela?? borders are closed except where vene citizens cross into colombia and brasil for much needed relief foodstuffs, aka bags of lentils, beans, rice. there are no medicines no supplies no hospitals. no nothing. is only becoming worse. the inflation rate is 10 million percent.

Very sad.

[El Pinguino]

Has this thread been 'edited'?

Or is there a similar thread in a parallel universe?

Meanwhile... this remains a good source of Ven news... well as good as any

https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/World+Ne...rica/Venezuela

Use the filters between your ears to decide what you believe..

Me? I've cancelled my hols in Caracas... they say Kabul is nice in the spring.....

[senormechanico]

Maduro is insisting to the world that there is no problem and is trying to turn away any outside food and supplies.
Some military officials are refusing to obey orders to turn away help.
Others, not so much.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...an-border.html


https://www.wsj.com/articles/venezue...er-11550836800


And you want to cruise there? Ack !

[zeehag]

https://www.noonsite.com/Countries/V...rGH6mncGozsiIE

[Gruz]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...an-border.html


https://www.wsj.com/articles/venezue...er-11550836800

I wonder does Joseph Goebbels still working there.

[SVAspen]

Zeehag has it correct (Noonsite link posted above). The Russians are working with Venezuela and keeping the sea lanes CLOSED near the ABC islands. Stay very far away from those areas if you value your vessel (and life). Just sayin'



Here is the link again: https://www.noonsite.com/Countries/V...rGH6mncGozsiIE

[skipmac]

Visiting a place with a high crime rate like Brasil or Venezuela (just to mention two that have been brought up in this discussion) is like playing Russian roulette. You might play several times and win but you could end up a loser at any time. Are the potential downsides to losing worth the risk of playing the game?

I have a very old friend who is Venezuelan. She has lived in Houston for many years but of course still has a lot of family and friends in Venezuela.

She has not gone back to visit for a few years due to the crime and risk of violence. She absolutely would not go now. That's good enough for me.

[AiniA]

No comparison between the situations in Brazil and Venezuela now. Someone considering a visit to Venezuela today must have both Yemen and Syria on the bucket list too.

[Sand crab]

Where is the OP from?

[Nelsons]

Sea venture, it’s up to you how to bit the dust. Seems that you will cause another headline how unsafe sailing really is. So have fun as a tourist in a civil war.