My husband and I have been cruising the Venezuela coast for the past six months and we have visited so fairly isolated bays. We have followed three precautions: 1. We never anchor with fewer than three other boats; 2. We always purchase something from the locals, bread, fish, vegetables; and 3. We always lift the dinghy on board at night.
We experienced a few minor problems, our fresh water filter was stolen from the tap at a marina, a bumper was taken, a coil of line and the like, mostly small opportunity crimes. But, we were in an anchorage where a boat's dinghy was stolen (it wasn't lifted on board) and we were also in a marina near Caracas where a couple were assaulted and their money taken, our understanding is they were walking back to the boat late at night from a nearby tavern.
Of course we heard terrible stories of a cruising couple killed and their boat stolen, but we don't know the details. On the whole our time in Venezuela was relatively free, but we follow the precautions above and never leave the boat unattended past 2100.
Cheers,
Joann Powers
