MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines warned its nationals in Venezuela on Friday, March 7, to prepare for possible evacuation in the face of anti-government protests there.

The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) made this warning as it raised crisis alert level 2, or the restriction phase, over Venezuela.

“Alert level 2 is issued when there are real threats to the life, security, and property of Filipinos arising from internal disturbance or external threat. Filipinos in the area are advised to limit non-essential movements, to avoid public places, and to prepare for possible evacuation,” the DFA said in a statement.

It added that under alert level 2, the Department of Labor and Employment will only allow Filipino workers “with existing contracts” to return to Venezuela.

The DFA said around 104 Filipinos live there.

Month-long unrest

The Philippine embassy in Mexico has jurisdiction over these Filipinos. The embassy “has already dispatched a consular officer to Caracas to provide on the ground assessment, to coordinate with the Philippine honorary consul general in Venezuela, and to assist the estimated 104 Filipino nationals in that country.”

The protests in Venezuela have lasted for over a month. 

Street protests erupted on February 4 and have continued every day in the biggest challenge yet to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s nearly year-old government.

Public anger over violent crime, shortages and arrests of demonstrators have fueled the protests.

But Maduro charges they are part of a US-backed plot by “fascists” to destabilize his socialist-inspired government.

On Thursday, March 6, Maduro called for a meeting of South American leaders on the turmoil in the country. – With reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com

(Editor’s note: In an earlier version, we inadvertently called the Department of Labor and Employment the Department of Labor and Deployment. We apologize for this error.)