The United States Department of State updated its travel warning Friday to Americans traveling in Colombia.
“Security in Colombia has improved significantly in recent years, including in tourist and business travel destinations like Cartagena and Bogota, but violence by narco-terrorist groups continues to affect some rural areas and large cities.”
The update comes just two days after the United Kingdom updated their travel warnings for Colombia.
The statement mentioned to two car bomb attacks in 2010 as well as the June 2011 satchel bomb in Bogota that resulted in structural damages but not fatalities.
The department said they had no “specific and credible threats” against Americans but that they “strongly encourage [Americans] to exercise caution and remain vigilant.”
They acknowledged that kidnapping rates have gone down; however, they warned that “no one is immune from kidnapping on the basis of occupation, nationality, or other factors. Kidnapping remains a serious threat…” According to the report, two American citizens have been kidnapped since August 2010. One was released after four days of captivity and the other was murdered.
The statement reminded U.S. nationals that although the government makes recovering kidnapped Americans a priority, they will not negotiate with illegal armed groups. “Consequently, the U.S. government’s ability to assist kidnapping victims is limited,” the warning said.
U.S. diplomats and officials are not allowed to travel by land in Colombia, and the department has urged U.S. citizens do the same.
To receive updates from the Department of State about travel warnings in Colombia, register at https://travelregistration.
