Venezuela has its fair share of poverty and crime. It is necessary to be vigilant when in crowded cities, as pickpockets and muggers may be around. Most sections of large cities are not safe to walk at night. Stay in populated areas. Always travel by vehicle in night. The outskirts of many cities are very poor and crime-ridden, and are not appropriate for tourists. When in doubt, ask local inhabitants or taxi drivers whether an area is safe or not. In general, if one looks like a (presumably wealthy) tourist, these sections of town should be avoided. It is advisable not to wear expensive jewelry or watches. Take care with taking pictures and unfolding maps in crowds. Pretend you know where you are going even if you aren't sure.

Always ride on a legal taxi (Yellow plates). The white plates taxis are not legal and may be dangerous.

Additionally, one must be wary of corrupt officials (police and National Guard). Some officials may demand bribes or otherwise extort travellers. Keep watch of your belongings at all times. Despite all these recommendations, one is usually quite safe in Venezuela if they apply a little common sense, and avoid looking overly wealthy when travelling. Women with big purses are recommended not to walk around alone. Tourists should avoid walking long distances in the towns and cities unless you know where you are going. Where possible arrange vehicle transport. It is not advisable for tourists to walk through poor areas or shanty towns without a local guide.

Above all, when you are in Venezuela it is very important to use common sense. If you follow the right precautions, you'll have no problem. Don't look at anybody the wrong way, and don't look too wealthy.

In the sad event you do get mugged, by all means don't even try to put up resistance, most muggers in Venezuela carry firearms and don't hesitate to shoot at the slighest provocation, keep calm and give the mugger whatever he wants, failure to do so is quite often deadly, also, reporting a mugging to the police is seldom worth the trouble, it's best to forget it as muggers are only rarely caught.

Despite all the issues with insecurity, you may avoid all problems by either staying in the touristic areas or visiting the less touristic areas with someone that lives in the country.