2 Nations Warn Citizens About Traveling to the US

Uruguay, Venezuela cite violence, hate crimes
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 6, 2019 1:17 PM CDT
2 Nations Warn Citizens About Traveling to the US
People visit the memorial outside Walmart in El Paso, Texas, where a mass shooting took place, on Monday.   (Mark Lambie/The El Paso Times via AP)

Two countries are urging citizens to use extreme caution when visiting the US, citing a rise in hate crimes. Travelers to the US should "take precautions against growing indiscriminate violence, mostly for hate crimes, including racism and discrimination, which cost the lives of more than 250 people in the first seven months of this year," reads an advisory issued Monday by Uruguay's Foreign Ministry. It advises citizens to avoid large crowds due to "indiscriminate possession of firearms by the population" and the "impossibility of authorities to prevent" mass shootings, per CNN. Venezuela's Foreign Ministry issued a similar advisory Monday, suggesting citizens go so far as to postpone travel plans given the "recent proliferation of violent acts and hate crimes" in the US.

Venezuela specifically mentioned the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton, reports Fox News. Uruguayans were told to avoid Baltimore, Detroit, and Albuquerque, given their appearance on a list of the world's most dangerous cities, along with "theme parks, shopping centers, arts festivals, religious activities, food fairs, and cultural or sporting events." Those traveling with minors were told to especially stay away from those places. Venezuela said to also avoid Atlanta, Buffalo, Cleveland, Memphis, Oakland, and St. Louis, per the Washington Post. The US State Department raised its travel advisory for Uruguay to Level 2—"exercise increased caution"—on Friday, due to crime. It has for several months told Americans not to travel to Venezuela (Level 4) at all.

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