Venezuela says country calm after US renews travel warning

Bloomberg News on Jan 11, 2026

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Venezuela said the country is in “absolute calm, peace and stability” after the U.S. urged its citizens to leave immediately on recently resumed international flights.

The U.S. advisory, issued after the capture of ousted President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, is based on “nonexistent narratives aimed at manufacturing a perception of risk that does not exist,” the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement late Saturday.

Earlier, the U.S. said security conditions in Venezuela were “changing” and urged citizens to exercise extreme caution, citing reports that armed civilian groups known as colectivos had set up road checkpoints to look for signs of U.S. citizenship or support.

Venezuela rejected those claims, saying security checkpoints across the country are operating “normally” and that the government retains full control of all weapons. On Friday, a delegation of U.S. officials led by chargé d’affaires John MacNamara arrived in Caracas as the two countries explore resuming diplomatic relations.

In the weeks before his capture, Maduro’s government — which had freed all imprisoned Americans through a series of prisoner swaps — began arresting U.S. citizens. Among those detained is Johan Benlolo Jiménez, a 41-year-old Venezuelan-born U.S. citizen and Miami-based hairstylist.

Venezuela earlier this week began releasing political prisoners in what it described as a peace gesture, prompting President Donald Trump to suspend a planned second wave of attacks. So far, about two dozen detainees have been freed, including five Spanish citizens.

No new releases were confirmed on Sunday morning,. But the Venezuelan government allowed limited visits at some detention centers, including the notorious Helicoide prison in Caracas, Victor Navarro, a former political prisoner who is now the executive director of Realidad Helicoide initiative, said in a phone interview.

The rare concession by the Venezuelan government comes as pressure mounts from relatives of the prisoners, who have gathered outside detention centers demanding the release of all detainees. On Saturday night, dozens of protesters held a candlelight vigil outside the Helicoide, displaying photos of their relatives and signs bearing their full names. Many have been staying overnight at the site for several days.

As of Dec. 29, Venezuela held 863 political prisoners, according to Foro Penal, a Caracas-based human rights group. Nearly 90 were foreigners, while 106 were women and 176 were members of the military.

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