WHERE IN THE WORLD IS—

Venezuela

It is an oil-rich tropical country on the north coast of South America and is among the top countries in the world for its ecological diversity.

It’s current president, Hugo Chavez Frias (2002) has raised some controversy by reforms to their Constitution and his assumption, approved by the National Assembly, of powers to rule by decree.

It has an estimated population of 27,700,000; about 2 ½ times the population of Ohio.

It was in the news last week when the Associated Press reported the Caracas Hilton hotel had been nationalized by the government. It will now be a “socialist” establishment, the state news agency reported.

Since 1998 relations between Venezuela and the US have progressively worsened, resulting in us imposing military sanctions.

Regarding the safety of travel to this country, here are some US State Department comments:

“SAFETY AND SECURITY: Violent crime in Venezuela is pervasive, both in the capital, Caracas, and in the interior. The country has one of the highest per-capita murder rates in the world. Armed robberies take place in broad daylight throughout the city, including areas generally presumed safe and frequented by tourists. A common technique is to choke the victim into unconsciousness and then rob them of all they are carrying. Well armed criminal gangs operate with impunity, often setting up fake police checkpoints. Kidnapping is a particularly serious problem, with more than 1,000 reported during the past year alone....”

I think I’ll pass on visiting this one.