U.S. Department of State issues travel advisories for two popular summer destinations
The U.S. Department of State is asking travelers to “reconsider” visiting two popular destinations due to the recent uptick in crime.
According to Travel + Leisure, as of last week, The Department re-classified Colombia and Jamaica as “Level 3,” urging Americans to “reconsider travel” to the countries. The new classification for Colombia was based on crime and terrorism, and in Jamaica’s case, it was for crime.
“Violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides, are common. Sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts,” detailed Jamaica’s advisory. The advisory warned travelers about local authorities, adding, “local police often do not respond effectively to serious criminal incidents.”
Travel + Leisure pointed out that the U.S. Department of State issued a “do not travel advisory” for several areas on the island, including downtown Kingston.
Colombia’s advisory also warned individuals about “widespread” violent crimes in Colombia. It listed “homicide, assault and armed robbery and in some places, kidnapping and extortion” as reasons to exercise caution. An additional caution was indicated for terrorist and criminal organizations. The website mentioned groups may “attack public areas like airports, hotels and restaurants without warning, and due to civil unrest, demonstrations occur regularly throughout the country” and “protests can become violent and can result in fatalities and injuries.”
The Department emphasized warnings for the Arauca, Cauca (excluding Popayán), and Norte de Santander departments and the Colombia-Venezuela border region. It stated these areas should be avoided “due to crime, kidnapping, and risk of detention when crossing into Venezuela from Colombia.”
The U.S. Department of State’s priority is to ensure the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas. They regularly assess situations in each country to classify advisories accordingly on a “scale of one (which indicates travelers should exercise normal precautions) to four (which warns Americans not to travel there).”
Travel + Leisure mentioned that travelers who still choose to venture to these countries should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive alerts “and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.”
Martie Bowser is a journalist and public relations professional in Charlotte, NC. She enjoys amplifying the voices of POC and women that fill a void within their community. Her favorite things to cover include “person of interest” pieces, small business highlights, pop culture commentary, entertainment features, and everything about Beyoncé. Her bylines can be found in Blavity, Black Excellence, Signature Bride, Black Wall Street Times, and HipHop Weekly. Martie can be reached via email at martiebowser@detourxp.com.