Safety at islands off Venezuela

[SailSB]

We are thinking about heading to the ABCs from the Eastern Caribbean/Trinidad.

We’d like to break the trip up a bit stopping at Los Testigos, Isla La Blaquilla, maybe Tortuga, certainly somewhere by Los Roques before getting to Bonaire.

I only find 10 year old reports on CSSN.

Does anyone have any first hand recent knowledge for the Venezuelan islands?

[Don Lobo]

hola

I am also thinking about going to los roques next summer, but there is not much info available.
wondering what you have been able to gather
could you share ?

cheers!

don lobo

[SailSB]

Haven’t found much info from recent years

[psk125]

People cruising - especially Americans- seem to have been avoiding Venezuela for political reasons. Rampant inflation is making people there desperate and cruising boats are tempting targets for fishermen on islands who can't afford to buy fuel for their motors or food for their families. Online research shows inflation over 9000% (nine thousand percent!) from 2012 to 2022. It has probably not slowed much more recently. US sanctions on Venezuela continue to make relations frosty. A case in point came up in 2020: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52151951 Heading to one of their outlying islands in an American vessel is probably not a good idea right now.

[FlyingScot]

We are full time cruisers but also reside in Bonaire. We never sailed to those islands due to safety concerns with our American flagged catamaran. There are relevant Facebook groups with successful visit stories.

Good luck with your decision.