During a week when riots rocked Colombia’s three main cities, Bogota, Medellin and Cali, the U.S. renewed its “Travel Warning” to citizens travelling to the South American country.
“The current travel warning was scheduled to be updated at the beginning of October,” and the timing of the warning issue was coincidental, Department of State representative Bill Furnish told Colombia Reports.
The upcoming peace talks between the FARC guerrillas and the Colombian government, along with a reduction in kidnappings, has not yet had enough affect for the country to be considered a safe place to travel, but it is “reviewed continually and we would always try to take account of the current situation and state of security in Colombia,” according to Furnish.
“The Department continually revises and reviews that guidance, there should be another updated revision in six months or sooner,” said the Department representative.
The warning reminds American tourists “to exercise caution and remain vigilant,” while travelling in Colombia, and said that although “security in Colombia has improved significantly in recent years … violence linked to narco-trafficking continues to affect some rural areas and parts of large cities … terrorist and criminal activities remain a threat throughout the country (and) explosions occur throughout Colombia on a regular basis.”
Should the unwary traveller happen to be taken hostage however, they may have to reduce their expectations of an all-out rescue mission by U.S. navy seals, as the missive warns that “it is U.S. policy not to make concessions or strike deals with kidnappers. Consequently the U.S. government’s ability to assist kidnapping victims is limited.”