Off the Beaten Path - Isla Margarita Travel Guide

The Police wanted to rape my girlfriend...

Sounds crazy? Well not for us after a night on Margarita Island - Venezuela.

“He can go, you get into the back of the car.”

Now what does that sound like???

We were on the way back from the beach at around 11.00PM . Yes, we had a drink at the bars along the beach. We had just arrived from Caracas and then walked along the beach, looking at the ocean, had some deep talks about life and were strolling back arm in arm to our Hotel, Costa Linda Beach. When leaving the beach road, heading towards the hotel, a big police truck stops behind us and flashes the lights. We stop, look at a young police officer jumping out, asking in Spanish what we are doing.
He is speaking fast to my girlfriend, who is from Peru. Something about what are we doing here, we looking drunk, our clothing being dirty (sure, walking at the beach, testing the water, there is sand on your clothing).

I ask in English, “what’s wrong? We are returning to the hotel.” He goes on about Passaporte etc. I say, “come with us to the hotel, 100m down the road.” Now the thickset older colleague is climbing out of the car. Building up their presence. I sense they are not here for jokes.

They stare dead cold, insisting on frisking me, looking for narcotics. Intimidating us with their complete presence – two guys in uniform in front of their truck in a side road of the beach, a stones throw from the hotel.

I do as told, they find 5 Bolivios, the rest of cash I took to the beach and my mobile as well as the key from the hotel. As “Costa Linda Beach” likes to keep their key on a big piece of wood, I had taken the it off the ring and had no chance of proving where we came from. When he started looking into my pants, the thought of a little white bag being produced from his pocket to frame me flashed through my thoughts. Luckily this did not happen.

Now they wanted to frisk my girlfriend. Her wearing a white long skirt and a tight top, there was obviously nothing to be hidden nor to be searched for.

Feeling intimidated, she said immediately “No way, we have done nothing wrong”. The older police officer came up to her and ordered, pointing to me and the car: “Ok, he can go, but you get into the back!” She again said “no”. I said, only understanding half of it: “What is wrong, what have we done that you want to do this? We just came from the beach going home to our hotel”

They insist again that they want her to get into the car and me leaving, - moving around restlessly. Needless to say, my girlfriend is very very scared at this moment. It now also dawns on me that they are out for something else than frisking foreigners. I keep on blabbering about the hotel, our passports and that there is not reason for taking us anywhere. She utters that we are here on our honeymoon. I am lost in regards to what we can do. I am not sure how to handle the situation. I sense something is completely wrong, but have no idea how to deal with the two officers.

Suddenly they decide to pull off. The older thickset officer puts on a big fake grin and tries to take my hand in a “cool” handshake. He says: “Ok, go….The police is your friend”.

Looking at him in amazement, I say:”If you are my friend, why you scare us like this?” He just smiles again and repeats, “we are your friend and again tries to give me his hand as if in reconciliation. I sense this is the only time they will listen to us at all and repeat “why you scare us like this??? You really scare us!” Did I ask for ID? No.Why? I was scared. We both sensed we were lucky, so incredibly lucky to get out of this situation.

The officer just smiles his ugly grin and gets into the car.

Needless to say, we were shaking to our bones! Up till now, we have been here for 3 days, noticing that this place is not like other holiday destinations. I have traveled a lot in my life through Europe, US, Asia, over the ME to the Caribbean and now South America. I travel for work, I see people, I see places, I talk to people, I am used to dealing with different nationalities. I have never experienced a situation more fake and more dangerous that this one.

What if my girlfriend would have gotten into that car as ordered? Where would they have taken her? What would have happened if she’d been alone? How should one react to such a situation, dealing with government officials?

We were stopped for walking the street back to our hotel for no reason at all!

I can only answer one thing: “This is a country that scares us!” If the police is already prying on you, what else can happen???

Off the Beaten Path in Isla Margarita

Isla Margarita Hotels

Isla Margarita Off the Beaten Path

Visiting Isla Margarita?

Visiting Isla Margarita?