site.btaForeign Ministry Activates Special Crisis Hotline for Bulgarian Citizens in Venezuela

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, its press centre said on Saturday. In order to ensure the safety of Bulgarian nationals in the country, the Ministry has activated a special crisis hotline to coordinate actions for providing the necessary assistance. Constant contact is being maintained with Bulgaria’s diplomatic and consular missions.

In the early hours on Saturday, the U.S. carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela, prompting the local government to declare a national emergency and mobilize troops, the Reuters reported. U.S. President Donald Trump said that the country's long-serving President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured flown out of the country. The U.S. had accused Maduro of running a "narco-state" and rigging last year's election, which the opposition said it won overwhelmingly. The Venezuelan leader, who succeeded Hugo Chavez to take power in 2013, has said Washington wants to take control of Venezuela's oil reserves, the largest in the world.

The Foreign Ministry is urging Bulgarian citizens currently in Venezuela to remain in regular contact with Bulgarian diplomatic services and to follow the instructions of the local authorities.

If assistance is needed, they can contact the 24-hour hotline of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Situation Centre on +359 893 339 616.

The Foreign Ministry said it will continue to provide timely information on developments in the situation.