Caracas: Russia's Embassy in Caracas on Monday issued a travel advisory, urging its citizens to avoid travelling to Venezuela 'unless absolutely necessary.' The advisory was posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry's Situation and Crisis Center, advising against travelling to the South American nation due to 'US armed aggression against Venezuela and threats of further attacks.'
According to Anadolu Agency - English, the travel advisory follows a 'large-scale' operation launched by the US against Venezuela on Saturday, during which President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured. They were subsequently flown to the US to face criminal charges in a New York court. The New York Times reported that approximately 80 people were killed during the US raid, citing Venezuelan officials.
Maduro and Flores are currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. They face US federal charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied these accusations, and Caracas officials have demanded the couple's release.
On Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry called on Washington to 'reconsider this position and release the legitimately elected president of a sovereign country and his wife,' in light of the capture of Maduro and Flores.