Caracas airport warns international visitors of increased risk of kidnap, robbery and assault

Authorities at the Simon Bolivar (Caracas) international airport in Maiquetia are asking international visitors to be aware of increased risk for kidnapping, robbery and assault after Brazilian businessmen who had arrived in Venezuela to negotiate supplies of Brazilian beef took an unofficial taxi from the airport and were "boxed in" by three other illegal taxis, after which they were held up at gunpoint and abducted. By the time they eventually arrived in the violence-ridden San Agustin del Sur barrio-slum of Caracas they had been relieved of all their valuables and personal effects and were dumped unceremoniously in the Las Acacias suburb from where they were picked up by Brazilian embassy personnel and allowed to return home to Brazil. In another incident a woman 4x4 driver and her two children were held up and robbed at gunpoint at the Montensano intersection ... the vehicle and its contents plus their valuables were stolen and the victimes were abandoned in one of two tunnels on the highway up to Caracas from the coast. In another incident a driver was forced out of his vehicle and robebd but "kindly" hijackers let him keep a Bs.F.50 so that he could take a bus up to Caracas instead...