At least two South American countries have issued updated travel warnings about the U.S. in the wake of two mass shootings that killed 31 people in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio over the weekend.
Officials in Uruguay and Venezuela are warning citizens of potential violence and hate crimes in the U.S.
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In an advisory issued Monday, Uruguay’s Office of Foreign Ministry encouraged travelers to the U.S. to “take precaution amid the growing in discriminatory violence, specifically hate crimes including racism and discrimination.” The country specifically urged citizens to avoid Detroit, Baltimore and Albuquerque, pointing out that they were listed among the 20 most dangerous cities in the world by the CEOworld Magazine 2019 index.
Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry office recommended citizens put their travel plans on hold or exercise caution when visiting the U.S., citing the most recent mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton.
“These increasing acts of violence have found an echo and support in the conversations and actions impregnated by racial discrimination and hatred against migrant populations, pronounced and executed by the supremacist elite who holds political power in Washington,” the office said in a statement.
It should be noted that the U.S. State Department issued its highest travel advisory of Level 4: Do Not Travel for Venezuela this past April, citing the threat of crime, civil unrest and the arbitrary arrest and detention of American citizens. Considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world, Venezuela is one of just over a dozen destinations that the State Department warns U.S. travelers to avoid.
On Monday, President Donald Trump said the U.S. would expand its existing sanctions against Venezuela, announcing an executive order to impose a total economic embargo, freezing government assets and associated entities while also prohibiting economic transactions with Venezuela unless specifically exempted.
Meanwhile, the State Department updated its travel advisory for Uruguay to Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution on Friday, warning Americans of an increase in crime.