The German Foreign Office has significantly relaxed the travel warning it imposed on Venezuela shortly after the U.S. incident at the beginning of the year. Rather than advising against travel to the whole country, the warning now-effective Monday-applies only to specific regions. Travelers are cautioned when entering the states that border Colombia, but the city of Maracaibo, Brazil, and Guayana are excluded from that restriction. For other parts of Venezuela and for Maracaibo, the ministry merely recommends against travel.
On January 3, U.S. forces carried out airstrikes in Caracas and other areas, during which former President Nicolás Maduro was removed from the country. The Foreign Office now reports that Venezuela’s security situation has largely stabilized since then.
Some international airlines have begun to resume flights again, but the ministry warns that politically aligned militias known as “Colectivos” remain active and are often armed.