Recently, political unrest in the area of Caracas, Venezuela, has been reported in the US media and elsewhere. Because of this, we get questions from students and parents about the safety of our Study Abroad in Venezuela program.

Venezuela has a long tradition of active political participation; the current activity is not unusual. Most of the political activity is centered around Caracas; our program is located in the middle of the mountains, a 10-12 hour bus ride away. Students report feeling very safe and comfortable in Venezuela and in the city of Mérida in particular. In addition, we are in contact with our on-site Venezuelan partners, the Venezuelan Consulate, and the US State Department to ensure a safe experience for students. The political climate in Venezuela has not interfered with our study abroad program and we do not anticipate any problems in the near future. The tensions that appear on the political level between Venezuela and the United States are not felt by the students in their daily lives.

We do discourage students from traveling to Caracas.

If we find that the situation is changing, we will reassess the program with our on-site staff, the University of Minnesota, and the State Department. If we were to cancel the program prior to departure, we would do our best to place students into a different program if they so desired.

The current public announcement from the State Department on Venezuela is at the lowest level of caution. It is in place to notify travelers of the recent washing out of an important bridge into the city of Caracas and is not the same as a travel warning.