15 Oct 2017 | 01:48 PM UTC
Venezuela: Transportation crisis paralyzes Caracas, other urban areas
Ongoing transportation crisis in Venezuela paralyzes Caracas and other urban areas; 70 percent of national public transportation system inoperable
Event
Following years of faltering government institutions and services, a major economic recession, and shortages, Venezuela is suffering from a major transportation crisis. In the capital Caracas, the number of vehicles on the roads is roughly one-third of pre-crisis levels and more than 70 percent of the country's public transportation system is currently inoperable. The lack of sufficient public transportation has also fomented the development of a parallel black market transportation system, which is often more expensive than the remaining public transportation options. Venezuela's public transportation system and transportation infrastructure is expected to deteriorate further in the near term, resulting in major transportation disruptions, as increasingly high maintenance costs, rapid inflation, understaffing, and decreasing tax revenue and subsidies burden the system.
In addition to the local traffic disruptions in Caracas and other urban areas, dozens of international airlines have suspended flights to the country because of missing government payments on contracts, as well as increasing rates of violent crime and political uncertainty. Per a statement released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global airline trade body, only six or seven airlines are continuing service to Venezuela, and operate few flights.
Context
Venezuela has been shaken by years of sociopolitical, transportation, political, economic, social, and health crises. A series of policy decisions and social spending initiatives, underwritten by rising oil prices in the early 2000s (Venezuela's economy is heavily reliant on exporting oil), ultimately proved unsustainable following the oil price drop in 2014. President Maduro's continuation of his predecessor Hugo Chávez's policies - including a complicated multiple exchange rate system, price controls, expansive subsidies, and strict regulations on private sector production - early in his tenure led to shortages of basic goods in Venezuela (which is largely dependent on imports), and rampant ongoing stagflation/hyperinflation since late 2014-2015. These deleterious economic effects have since translated to related sociopolitical, transportation, and health crises.
Advice
Individuals in Caracas and other Venezuelan cities are advised to avoid using public transportation due to high rates of crime, safety concerns, and lack of reliability, and to be prepared for transportation disruptions.
More generally, individuals in Venezuela are advised to closely monitor the security and sociopolitical situation as outbreaks of violence are common and can occur with little warning. Maintain a stockpile of enough food, water, and other supplies enabling you to shelter in place for several days in the event of a sudden deterioration in the local security situation, and follow all directives as issued by your local diplomatic mission.