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 You are in: Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs > Bureau of Public Affairs > Bureau of Public Affairs: Press Relations Office > Press Releases (Other) > 2002 > June 
Taken Questions
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
June 12, 2002
Question Taken at May 29, 2002 Daily Press Briefing

Harassment of American Citizens in Venezuela

Question: Have we formally protested the singling out and harassment of American citizens by the Venezuelan authorities?

Answer: Our Embassy has registered it’s protest with the Venezuelan government regarding threatening remarks made to a U.S. diplomat at Marquetia International Airport by authorities there, as well as mistreatment of two U.S. diplomats and a U.S. citizen teacher by local Venezuelan authorities during a weekend fishing trip. The Embassy also protested the mistreatment of a U.S. citizen businessman on Margarita Island and the harassment of a U.S. citizen missionary in western Venezuela.

We have received assurances that Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry takes the incidents seriously and will take action to ensure they are not repeated.

Embassy officials continue to press senior officials of the Government of Venezuela to ensure protection and equitable treatment of U.S. citizens in the country.

For more information on conditions in Venezuela affecting the safety and welfare of U.S. citizens, please consult the latest Public Announcement for Venezuela, available on the State Department’s Consular Web site (www.travel.state.gov).


Released on June 12, 2002

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