Amnesty International Issues Travel Warning for U.S.

Foreign countries have taken action to protect their citizens by issuing warnings to travelers who have plans or are currently visiting America.

  • Published 8 August 2019
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Amnesty International issued an advisory for persons traveling to the United States a few days after a pair of mass shootings in two American cities over the previous weekend left 31 people dead.

The advisory, published on Aug. 7, was “issued in light of ongoing high levels of gun violence in the [U.S.],” and calls on people worldwide “to exercise caution and have an emergency contingency plan when traveling throughout the USA.”

Amnesty International urged those traveling to the U.S. to:

  • “Be extra vigilant at all times and be aware of the ubiquity of firearms among the population.”
  • “Avoid places where large numbers of people gather, especially cultural events, places of worship, schools, and shopping malls.”
  • “Exercise increased caution when visiting local bars, nightclubs, and casinos.”

After news accounts reported that one of the mass shooting suspects had posted a manifesto to an online message board asserting that he was acting in response to an “invasion” of Hispanics across the southern border, two South American countries also issued travel advisories for the U.S.

On Aug. 5, the foreign ministry of Guatemala also warned its citizens about travel to the U.S. as follows:

The Foreign Ministry warns citizens traveling to the United States to take precautions against growing indiscriminate violence, mostly related to hate crimes, including racism and discrimination, which have cost the lives of more than 250 people in the first seven months of this year.

Given the impossibility of the authorities to prevent these situations, due to — among other factors — the indiscriminate possession of firearms by the population, it is especially advisable to avoid places where large concentrations of people gather, such as theme parks, shopping centers, art festival, places of worship, culinary fairs, and any kind of cultural or sporting events. In particular, it is recommended not to take minors to these places.

Likewise, it is suggested some cities which are among the 20 most dangerous in the world be avoided, such as Detroit (Michigan), Baltimore (Maryland) and Albuquerque (New Mexico), according to the Ceoworld Magazine 2019 index.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Venezuela issued a similar advisory:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela suggests that Venezuelan citizens planning to travel to the territory of the United States of America postpone their travel or, in any case, take precautions during the themselves, given the proliferation of acts of violence and crimes of indiscriminate hatred, expressed last weekend in the towns of El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, leaving a balance of 30 people dead and about 53 injured.

These growing acts of violence have been encouraged by speeches and actions full of racial discrimination and hatred against migrant populations, condoned by the supremacist elite who hold political power in Washington. This year alone, these actions have cost the lives of more than 250 people.

A fundamental factor to consider lies in the inexcusable indiscriminate possession of firearms by the population, also encouraged from the center of the federal government of that country, so it is especially advisable to avoid places where large crowds gather. In particular, it is recommended not to visit these places with minors.

It is important to warn that the security of Venezuelans and Venezuelans is at special risk, having been declared as an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security of the United States of America since 2015.

Given all of the above, it is suggested above all to avoid visiting some cities that are among the 20 most dangerous in the world, such as Cleveland, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Baltimore, Maryland; St. Louis, Missouri; Oakland, California; Memphis, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; Stockton, and Buffalo, according to Forbes (2019).

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Japanese Consul in Detroit also published an alert warning that Japanese nationals “should be aware of the potential for gunfire incidents everywhere in the United States,” describing the U.S. as “a gun society.”