Ongoing protests in Latin America have led to large-scale problems in the work of consular institutions in Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and other countries. Also, more than 300 flights have already been canceled. Find out what is the reason for this situation and what threatens foreigners

The Venezuelan government ordered employees of its diplomatic institutions in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Peru and Uruguay to return to Venezuela, expelled representatives of these countries from the country, and canceled more than 300 commercial flights.

What are the causes and consequences of these actions? Latest news from the region in our new article.

In which countries are there disruptions in the work of the consular network?

- Argentina. The Venezuelan consular posts in Argentina and the Argentine consular posts in Venezuela have suspended all consular services indefinitely. Diplomatic personnel of the Venezuelan embassy in Argentina were ordered to leave Argentina on July 31, 2024.

- Chile. Venezuelan consular offices have indefinitely suspended the processing of any documents, and all diplomatic personnel have been withdrawn. Consular offices of Chile in Venezuela have suspended personal reception of citizens, applicants can send their inquiries to the consulate by e-mail.

- Dominican Republic. The consular offices of Venezuela in the Dominican Republic and the consular offices of the Dominican Republic in Venezuela have suspended all consular services indefinitely.

- Panama. The Venezuelan Embassy in Panama has suspended all consular services indefinitely. It is not yet clear whether the Panamanian consulate in Venezuela will close.

- Peru. The Venezuelan Consulate in Lima has suspended all consular services.

Although there is no confirmation yet, it can be expected that the Venezuelan consular offices in Costa Rica and Uruguay, as well as the Peruvian and Uruguayan consular offices in Venezuela, will also close soon.

How will the closure of diplomatic missions affect people?

Citizens should expect disruptions in the provision of consular services – individuals whose applications are pending at Venezuelan consular offices in affected countries, as well as at consular offices of these countries in Venezuela, should be prepared for processing disruptions. In particular, problems are expected with obtaining Venezuelan visas, apostille and legalization services, as well as issuing passports.

The Venezuelan government has not yet announced possible alternative ways to obtain documents for affected applicants.

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Airline disruptions in Latin America

On July 31, Venezuela will suspend flights to and from Panama and the Dominican Republic after severing diplomatic relations with both countries. As a result, at least six airlines were forced to cancel more than 300 flights. Given that these carriers use aircraft with a passenger capacity of 100 to 130 passengers, it can be said that at least 2,700 passengers per week will be affected by the restrictions.

Later, the cancellation also affected other airlines in the region:

 - Copa Airlines has announced the temporary suspension of flights to or from Venezuela starting July 31, 2024. This action was in response to the decision of the Venezuelan Ministry of Transport to suspend all flights between Panama and Venezuela from 20:00 (Venezuelan local time) on July 31, 2024.

The air carrier offers its passengers the following solutions:

1. Change departure dates without additional payment.

2. Cancel the trip, and return the money for the ticket to a special account, from which you can pay for your next reservation.

3. Cancel the reservation and refund the money for the ticket.

Regarding the latter option, Copa Airlines says that due to the large number of passengers affected by this measure, the refund process will take longer than usual.

- The Peruvian airline LATAM Airlines has suspended flights between Lima and Caracas from July 31 to August 31. The carrier clarified that the transfer or return of tickets will not have additional costs for travelers who planned to fly to the territory of Venezuela.

- The Laser company canceled the route from Santo Domingo to Venezuela, which departed on Thursday and Sunday.

The flights of the following carriers were also canceled - Sky High, Avior, Turpial, Rutaca and Venezolana.

The unexpected event left many travelers in limbo. Carriers are currently actively working to coordinate the new route and mitigate the impact on travelers.

Importantly! It is predicted that flight cancellations may spread beyond the borders of Latin America. In particular, the routes between Venezuela and Spain are currently under threat.

All commercial flights to and from Venezuela are suspended until further notice. In general, flights are planned to resume immediately after the situation stabilizes.

Given the instability of air travel in the region, we advise you to check with your airlines about possible changes in the schedule, as well as flight cancellations, before departure.

What is the reason for the protests?

On July 28, 2024, presidential elections were held in Venezuela, which ended with a rather controversial result. Both incumbent President Nicolás Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo González announced their victory.

The governments of Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay are demanding a review of the election results, citing protests by Venezuelans who have taken to the streets because they say the results of the vote were rigged. In response, Venezuela decided to terminate cooperation with these countries.

Diplomatic relations between Venezuela and other countries in the region, as well as international organizations, remain unstable. Therefore, citizens should expect additional restrictions, which may also lead to problems with migration.

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Igor Usyk - Head of Migration department at VisitWorld

If you find yourself in a difficult situation abroad, consult a migration lawyer. We help to quickly resolve any issues outside the country of origin.

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