The United States issued a security warning for Colombia where an ongoing truckers strike has raised tensions across the South American country.
The alert urged US citizens on Friday to avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place.
“Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence,” the State Department message warned.
Why Colombia’s truckers are angry
The alert also cited a recent trucker’s union’s announcement of a plan to block all roads entering and leaving Bogota as a cause for concern.
The strike, which began in June, has escalated over the past month and turned violent last week.
Colombia to militarize highways after angry truckers block roads
The US State Department’s warning supplements its general travel warning for Colombia. While the warning admits that the security situation in Colombia has improved significantly in recent years, it specifically warns US citizens to be careful when traveling by road.
The US government has strict guidelines for how its officials are allowed to travel. They are normally not allowed to travel by road outside of major cities. In its travel warning, the State Department urges Americans traveling to or living in Colombia follow similar guidelines.