India on Saturday issued an advisory asking its nationals in Venezuela to exercise “extreme caution” and restrict their movements following US military strikes on the country and claims by US President Donald Trump that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife have been captured by US forces.
In a press release, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said all Indians currently in Venezuela should remain in close contact with the Embassy of India in Caracas. “All Indians who are in Venezuela for any reason are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements, and remain in contact with Embassy of India in Caracas,” the statement said.
The advisory shared the embassy’s email address, cons.caracas@mea.gov.in, and an emergency phone number, +58-412-9584288, also available for WhatsApp calls.
The advisory comes amid rapidly escalating tensions in Venezuela after Trump claimed that US forces carried out “large-scale airstrikes” on Caracas and captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during an early-morning operation.
Trump said the couple had been taken into US custody and flown out of the country, with Maduro facing charges in Manhattan federal court, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons-related offences.
While Venezuelan authorities have not acknowledged Trump’s claims, multiple explosions were reported in Caracas in the early hours of Saturday, with residents describing low-flying aircraft, fires, power outages and thick plumes of smoke over parts of the capital.
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