There is no plan to evacuate Indonesian citizens, the Indonesian Embassy in Caracas still prepares a contingency plan.
JAKARTA - The Indonesian Embassy in Caracas is still preparing a contingency plan (contingency plan), although there is no plan to evacuate Indonesian citizens (WNI) from Venezuela, following the development of the situation in the country last week.
The US military carried out an operation in the capital Caracas last week, followed by the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores who were then taken to New York on January 3.
Acting Director of Indonesian Citizen Protection of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Heni Hamidah, said that his party through the Indonesian Embassy in Caracas was closely monitoring the security situation and the conditions of Indonesian citizens (WNI) there.
"Based on the records of the Indonesian Embassy, there are 37 Indonesian citizens, 33 of whom are embassy staff and families, and four Indonesian citizens who live, get married and work there," he explained in a press statement in Jakarta, Thursday (8/1).
Furthermore, he explained, based on information from the Indonesian Embassy, all Indonesian citizens are currently in a safe and healthy condition.
"To anticipate the escalation of the conflict, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Indonesian Embassy in Caracas has taken steps, prepared a contingency plan and activated the protocol for the protection of Indonesian citizens," he said.
The Indonesian Embassy in Caracas is also intensively coordinating with local authorities, he continued, to monitor the latest developments, as well as activating backup communication devices to anticipate blakcout by preparing radios to satellite phones so that communication with Jakarta is not interrupted.
"With the situation that has started to stabilize and gradually normalize, Indonesian citizens in Venezuela are still urged to be vigilant and to monitor the latest situation," said Heni.
"There are no plans for evacuation, because the current conditions and situation, according to the Indonesian Embassy in Caracas, are gradually stable and normal," he explained.
"However, the Indonesian Embassy has a contingency plan, which can be implemented at any time. If the condition is an emergency and the standby status rises to 1, currently standby-3, then the evacuation will be carried out," he explained.
"In the plan there are plans for handling Indonesian citizens, whether they will be evacuated through land or sea, it already exists," he said.
Separately, Venezuelan Minister of the Interior Diosdado Caello said at least 100 people were killed in the US military attack, quoted by Reuters.
This is the first announcement of the Venezuelan government in providing a definitive figure for the number of deaths due to the US attack. Previously, the Venezuelan military uploaded information related to 23 lists of casualties from soldiers.