Safety conditions in Colombia are “exceptional,” the country’s interior and justice minister said Wednesday after the United States updated its travel warning for the country, warning its citizens of the threat of “terrorist activity.”
“Tourism in Colombia today has exceptional conditions to come and enjoy almost all major cities in a safe way,” Minister German Vargas Lleras told journalists.
The minister stressed that the country is not the same as it was a few years ago, adding that Bogota is one of the safest cities in Latin America with crime rates lower than other urban centers like Mexico, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
The U.S. State Department repeated its previous warning that “in recent months there has been a marked increase in violent crime,” with murder rates rising particularly in Medellin and Cali, and that kidnapping “remains a serious threat.”