Travel warning for Colombia from the US

The US issues a travel warning of Level 3 for Colombia over increased risks of “crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping.”

The United States of America recently has issued a Level 3 travel warning to all those heading to Colombia. The warning has been issued taking into consideration the increased risks of “crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping.”

The US issues a travel warning for people heading to Colombia.

The US Department of State has issued a Level 3 warning for those heading to Colombia. The travel advisory has urged travellers to reconsider visiting the popular South American location in light of the increased risks of “crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping” in the region, with certain areas showing signs of increased risk factors.

What did the advisory read?

The travel advisory by the US Department of State read, “Violent crime, like murder, assault, and robbery, is common in many areas in Colombia. In some places, organized crime is rampant. This includes extortion, robbery, and kidnapping.” It added, “There is risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity, in Colombia.”

The US urges people to reconsider travelling to Colombia.

The country as a whole has been issued a Level 3 travel warning, which requires visitors to reconsider travel. Specific areas in the region have been flanked with a “Do Not Travel” Level 4 warning. Some of the high-risk areas like the Arauca, Cauca (excluding Popayán), and Norte de Santander departments are part of the Level 4 warning zones due to rampant activity of terrorism in the region and violent crime, like armed robbery and murder. The Colombia-Venezuela border has been flagged as risky since the border is not marked well. Hence, travellers run the risk of crossing over and being detained by Venezuelan authorities. This may cause the detainees to be slapped with terrorism charges and be held for long periods.

The advisory also states, “Political demonstrations are common throughout Colombia,” risking the shutting down of roads or highways and access to public transportation while interrupting travel and resulting in fatal injuries without any prior warning. It said that these attacks may be targeted towards “US government facilities, local government facilities, tourist areas and attractions, transportation centers, shopping malls and markets, military and police facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, and airports”.