Due to recent military activity in the Caribbean Sea, all Liberian flagged vessels transiting the Venezuelan Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and ports in Venezuela should implement measures equivalent to security level 2 in their Ship Security Plan.
Specifically, in a recent security advisor, the Republic of Liberia advises that shipowners, operators and masters trading in these waters should assess the risk associated with port calls taking into account nationality of owners and seafarers, and cargo on board.
It is recommended that shipowners, masters and operators continue to follow mitigation measures, watch teams and security personnel maintaining a persistent watch while transiting near the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.
Continuous and careful monitoring of the evolving situation is strongly recommended. Shipowners, operators and masters should obtain the most current information from the relevant government organizations of the countries where seafarers are ordinarily resident, local port agents, local port authorities, and P&I correspondents.
The shipping industry will continue to monitor and advise on maritime security threats to assist the safe transit of vessels and seafarers.
To remind, on Jan. 3 the U.S. launched a large-scale strike against Venezuela, detaining President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores and transferring them to a U.S. warship en route to New York to face narco-terrorism charges. Caracas condemned the operation as an “imperialist attack” and called for mass protests.
The escalation followed months of U.S. anti-drug operations in regional waters and a major U.S. naval buildup in the area. Since then, a tectonic shift in the global tanker market has been observed, with Xclusiv Shipbrokers noting that U.S. military intervention is forcing a structural move from “dark” to more transparent seaborne trade.
- Safety4Sea
