Venezuela: Procedures for travellers leaving the country through the Simón Bolívar International Airport (Maiquetía), including forms and declarations that must be filled out and documents that must be presented, as well as the role of the Bolivarian National Guard (Guardia Nacional Bolivariana) (2012-May 2014)

1. Procedure

The Simón Bolívar International Airport- its official name since 1972 (Venezuela n.d.c) - serves Caracas [the capital of Venezuela] and is still called Maiquetía [its former name] by Venezuelans (BBC 24 Sept. 2013). According to the airport's website, travellers must present their identity card or passport at the airline counter to check in (Venezuela n.d.a). In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, a representative of the Institutional Relations Branch (Dirección de Relaciones Institucionales) of the Simón Bolívar airport explained that, during check-in, the airline provides the traveller with a boarding pass and a form titled Tarjeta Andina de Migración (Andean migration card), which the traveller must fill out and submit to the Administrative Service of Identification, Migration and Foreigners (Servicio Administrativo de Identificación, Migración y Extranjería, SAIME) (ibid. 26 May 2014). After checking in, the traveller must pass through the [translation] "sterile zone," where airport security services and the Bolivarian National Guard conduct inspections for security and drug purposes (ibid.). According to the airport website, these measures include an x-ray (ibid. n.d.b). Once the security inspection is complete, the traveller must present themselves to the SAIME counter to submit their completed Tarjeta Andina de Migración, and have their passport stamped (ibid. 26 May 2014). Subsequently, they may go to the boarding area, where the airline officials will check their boarding pass and inspect their carry-on baggage (ibid.).

2. Security Inspection Incidents

According to an article published by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the Bolivarian National Guard conducts [translation] "thorough" baggage checks at the Simón Bolívar airport, and there are "regular" complaints by travellers who are taken to an isolated room for questioning or systematic searches (24 Sept. 2013). Sources report that Patricia Janiot, a CNN journalist who recently had her journalist identification card confiscated by the Government of Venezuela, was taken to a room by agents of the Bolivarian National Guard for a systematic search (El País and AP 21 Feb. 2014; Diario de Cuba 22 Feb. 2014). According to the journalist, the agents of the Bolivarian National Guard verbally harassed her (ibid.). In addition, they apparently damaged her shoes with a knife, searching for drugs or explosives (El País and AP 21 Feb. 2014).

In the travel alerts and warnings section on its website, the US Department of State published the following about Venezuela:

information provided by U.S. citizens and U.S. government officials indicates that uniformed individuals have approached travelers immediately upon entering the terminal when exiting Venezuela through Maiquetía Airport. These uniformed individuals reportedly may ask travelers where they are traveling and then escort them to a separate area to inspect their bags for illegal drugs or money. In certain cases U.S. citizens have reported that they were forced to sign documents in Spanish that they did not understand. (US 20 Aug. 2013).

A press release from the Creative Community (Colectivo Creador) of the Venezuelan Aboriginal Film Festival (Muestra de Cine Indígena de Venezuela), an organization devoted to preserving Aboriginal cultural heritage through cinematography (Colectivo Creador 8 Oct. 2008), reports that film-maker and producer Leiqui Uriana Henríquez, a member of the group, was stopped by agents of the Bolivarian National Guard upon checking in at the airline counter for a flight to Madrid (ibid. 8 Mar. 2012). The article states that the agents of the National Guard questioned Ms. Uriana Henríquez and prohibited her from communicating with anyone (ibid.). According to the film-maker, she was forced to give herself an enema, which revealed nothing elicit, and to sign a blank page in a registry (ibid.). Further information on this registry could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 24 September 2013. Daniel Pardo. "¿Cómo pasa más de una tonelada de cocaína por el aeropuerto de Caracas?." [Accessed 26 May 2014]

Colectivo Creador de la Muestra de Cine Indígena de Venezuela. 8 March 2012. "Manifiestan solidaridad con cineasta wayuu por maltrato en aeropuerto de Maiquetía." [Accessed 26 May 2014]

_____. 8 October 2008. "Venezuela - Muestra de cine indígena." [Accessed 29 May 2014]

Diario de Cuba. 22 February 2014. "Caracas rectifica y devuelve la credencial a la corresponsal de CNN." [Accessed 26 May 2014]

El País and Associated Press (AP). 21 February 2014. "Ángela Patricia Janiot denunció abusos policiales al salir de Venezuela por amenazas." [Accessed 29 May 2014]

United States (US). 20 August 2013. Department of State. "Alerts & Warnings: Venezuela." [Accessed 26 May 2014]

Venezuela. 26 May 2014. Aeropuerto Internacional de Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar," Dirección de Relaciones Institucionales. Correspondence sent to the Research Directorate by a representative.

_____. N.d.a. Aeropuerto Internacional de Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar." "Chequeo con aerolíneas." [Accessed 28 May 2014]

_____. N.d.b. Aeropuerto Internacional de Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar." "Controles de seguridad." [Accessed 13 May 2014]

_____. N.d.c. Aeropuerto Internacional de Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar." "Reseña histórica." [Accessed 3 June 2014]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Representatives of the Embassy of Venezuela in Canada and of the Guardia Nacional Bolivariana were unable to provide information.

Internet sites, including: Airportguide.com; Aporrea.org; Canada - Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada; Diario de Caracas; Diario de los Andes; Diario las Américas; ecoi.net; El Diario; El Mundo; El Nacional; Factiva; Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme; Freedom House; Human Rights Watch; La Patilla; Muestra Internacional de Cine Indígena de Venezuela; Notitarde.com; Programa Venezolano de Educación y Acción en Derechos Humanos; Reporters sans frontières; Talcualdigital.com; United Nations - Refworld; United States - Central Intelligence Agency; Venezuela - Guardia Nacional Bolivariana, Instituto Nacional de Aeronáutica Civil, Ministerio del Poder Popular para Transporte Acuático y Aéreo, Servicio Administrativo de Identificación, Migración y Extranjería; Wayuunaiki.