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Privacy Policy T.O.S. Medellin Travel Guide Contact Us
© 2007 Medellin Travel Guide - All Rights Reserved
© 2007 Medellin Travel Guide - All Rights Reserved
Medellin Antioquia Colombia Travel Warnings
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Last Updated:06/17/10
Traveling to
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This week in
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Are your friends asking you, "Why in the world are you are going to Medellin Colombia?"
Travel Warnings -TIP-If you can be seen by a helicopter, you are probably in a safe area. Think about it!
While many are concerned about the travel warnings of visiting Colombia, many more people are finding that over all, Colombia is a very safe place to visit if you don’t go to the wrong places. The urban cities of Bogotá, Medellin, Cartagena and Barranquilla are quite safe. Just like any major metropolitan city, there are places in the inner cities and barrios (communas) to stay away from but overall the homicide rates have been dropping in Medellin dramatically in the past decade.
If you live or stay in the more upscale Poblado area of the city, you will feel as safe as any neighborhood in the US. Travel into El Centro during the day and on the weekends is an event not to miss but it is not advised to enter El Centro after dark. Even the locals avoid going there at night. If you do go, make sure you are in a group that can take care of themselves. Best to avoid the outlying barrios unless you are with a local that is known in that area. Not much to see or do there anyway!
If in doubt, take a couple of hours and do your own research. Some sites still show Colombia has the highest homicide rates. Some show it in 3rd place but almost all say most of the murder and kidnappings occur in the more rural areas. In the major metropolitan cities, the murder, kidnapping and overall crime rates are way below many other countries. Guess one mans data is another mans gospel. Let me put it another way. I'd rather be in Medellin any day of the week than Rio, Caracas, Washington DC, Lousiana, Detroit, New York, Sao Paulo and many other cities I have visited around the world.
It is not recommended to travel to the provinces of Caqueta, Putumayo, Meta and Choco or to the rural areas of Antioquia, Cauca, Narino, and Norte de Santander - please consult the Ministry of Foreign affairs or State Department of your home country for current travel warnings and advisories.
In 2005, the US dropped its travel advisory about going to Colombia.
U.S. Drops Advisory Against
Traveling to Colombia
May 6, 2005 (Bloomberg News) -- The U.S. State Department lifted an advisory against its citizens traveling to Colombia as security improves in the South American nation.
The State Department still warns "of the dangers of travel to Colombia'' but wording from previous listings that urged U.S. citizens "against travel'' to the country has been removed, the department said on its Web site.
"Violence has decreased markedly in most urban centers, including Bogotá, Medellin, Barranquilla, and Cartagena,'' the advisory said. Still, "no one can be considered immune on the basis of occupation, nationality or any other factor.''
President Alvaro Uribe's effort to rid the nation of the violence from Colombia's four decade civil war, which pits guerrillas against the government and paramilitary groups, has resulted in a 30 percent drop in homicides to 20,000 and a 50 percent decline in kidnappings.
Since 2000, 32 Americans were kidnapped in Colombia, including four in 2004, the State Department said.
The Colombian peso has strengthened almost 24 percent against the U.S. dollar since Uribe took office in August 2002. The government's benchmark 10 percent bond due in 2012 rose to 109.40 pesos from 80.25 pesos, cutting the yield to 8.151 percent from 12.733 percent.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Helen Murphy in Bogotá at Ext. 224 or hmurphy1@bloomberg.net <mailto:hmurphy1@bloomberg.net>
Today, a mere travel “Warning” exists for Colombia but is mainly intended for the rural areas that are the strongholds of the FARC. (See other countries below)
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html
This information is current as of today, Thu Jan 29 08:33:05 2009.
COLOMBIA
August 07, 2008
This Travel Warning updates and reminds American citizens of ongoing security concerns in Colombia. The Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens of the dangers of travel to Colombia. While security in Colombia has improved significantly in recent years, violence by narco-terrorist groups continues to affect some rural areas and cities. The potential for violence by terrorists and other criminal elements exists in all parts of the country. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Colombia issued February 05, 2008.
Violence has decreased markedly in many urban areas; however, the level of violence in Buenaventura remains high. Small towns and rural areas of Colombia can still be extremely dangerous due to the presence of narco-terrorists. Common crime remains a significant problem in many urban and rural areas. For additional details about the general criminal threat, please see the Department of State’s Country Specific Information for Colombia.
The incidence of kidnapping in Colombia has diminished significantly from its peak at the beginning of this decade. Nevertheless, terrorist groups such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN), and other criminal organizations continue to kidnap and hold civilians for ransom or as political bargaining chips. No one is immune from kidnapping on the basis of occupation, nationality, or other factors. Kidnapping in rural areas is of particular concern. On July 2, 2008, the Government of Colombia rescued 15 hostages, including three Americans, who had been held for more than 5 years. Although the U.S. government places the highest priority on the safe recovery of kidnapped Americans, it is U.S. policy not to make concessions to or strike deals with kidnappers. Consequently, the U.S. government’s ability to assist kidnapping victims is limited.
U.S. government officials and their families in Colombia are permitted to travel to major cities in the country, but normally only by air. They cannot use inter- or intra-city bus transportation, or travel by road outside urban areas at night. All Americans in Colombia are urged to follow these precautions.
Travel Warnings -TIP-If you can be seen by a helicopter, you are probably in a safe area. Think about it!
While many are concerned about the travel warnings of visiting Colombia, many more people are finding that over all, Colombia is a very safe place to visit if you don’t go to the wrong places. The urban cities of Bogotá, Medellin, Cartagena and Barranquilla are quite safe. Just like any major metropolitan city, there are places in the inner cities and barrios (communas) to stay away from but overall the homicide rates have been dropping in Medellin dramatically in the past decade.
If you live or stay in the more upscale Poblado area of the city, you will feel as safe as any neighborhood in the US. Travel into El Centro during the day and on the weekends is an event not to miss but it is not advised to enter El Centro after dark. Even the locals avoid going there at night. If you do go, make sure you are in a group that can take care of themselves. Best to avoid the outlying barrios unless you are with a local that is known in that area. Not much to see or do there anyway!
If in doubt, take a couple of hours and do your own research. Some sites still show Colombia has the highest homicide rates. Some show it in 3rd place but almost all say most of the murder and kidnappings occur in the more rural areas. In the major metropolitan cities, the murder, kidnapping and overall crime rates are way below many other countries. Guess one mans data is another mans gospel. Let me put it another way. I'd rather be in Medellin any day of the week than Rio, Caracas, Washington DC, Lousiana, Detroit, New York, Sao Paulo and many other cities I have visited around the world.
It is not recommended to travel to the provinces of Caqueta, Putumayo, Meta and Choco or to the rural areas of Antioquia, Cauca, Narino, and Norte de Santander - please consult the Ministry of Foreign affairs or State Department of your home country for current travel warnings and advisories.
In 2005, the US dropped its travel advisory about going to Colombia.
U.S. Drops Advisory Against
Traveling to Colombia
May 6, 2005 (Bloomberg News) -- The U.S. State Department lifted an advisory against its citizens traveling to Colombia as security improves in the South American nation.
The State Department still warns "of the dangers of travel to Colombia'' but wording from previous listings that urged U.S. citizens "against travel'' to the country has been removed, the department said on its Web site.
"Violence has decreased markedly in most urban centers, including Bogotá, Medellin, Barranquilla, and Cartagena,'' the advisory said. Still, "no one can be considered immune on the basis of occupation, nationality or any other factor.''
President Alvaro Uribe's effort to rid the nation of the violence from Colombia's four decade civil war, which pits guerrillas against the government and paramilitary groups, has resulted in a 30 percent drop in homicides to 20,000 and a 50 percent decline in kidnappings.
Since 2000, 32 Americans were kidnapped in Colombia, including four in 2004, the State Department said.
The Colombian peso has strengthened almost 24 percent against the U.S. dollar since Uribe took office in August 2002. The government's benchmark 10 percent bond due in 2012 rose to 109.40 pesos from 80.25 pesos, cutting the yield to 8.151 percent from 12.733 percent.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Helen Murphy in Bogotá at Ext. 224 or hmurphy1@bloomberg.net <mailto:hmurphy1@bloomberg.net>
Today, a mere travel “Warning” exists for Colombia but is mainly intended for the rural areas that are the strongholds of the FARC. (See other countries below)
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html
This information is current as of today, Thu Jan 29 08:33:05 2009.
COLOMBIA
August 07, 2008
This Travel Warning updates and reminds American citizens of ongoing security concerns in Colombia. The Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens of the dangers of travel to Colombia. While security in Colombia has improved significantly in recent years, violence by narco-terrorist groups continues to affect some rural areas and cities. The potential for violence by terrorists and other criminal elements exists in all parts of the country. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Colombia issued February 05, 2008.
Violence has decreased markedly in many urban areas; however, the level of violence in Buenaventura remains high. Small towns and rural areas of Colombia can still be extremely dangerous due to the presence of narco-terrorists. Common crime remains a significant problem in many urban and rural areas. For additional details about the general criminal threat, please see the Department of State’s Country Specific Information for Colombia.
The incidence of kidnapping in Colombia has diminished significantly from its peak at the beginning of this decade. Nevertheless, terrorist groups such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN), and other criminal organizations continue to kidnap and hold civilians for ransom or as political bargaining chips. No one is immune from kidnapping on the basis of occupation, nationality, or other factors. Kidnapping in rural areas is of particular concern. On July 2, 2008, the Government of Colombia rescued 15 hostages, including three Americans, who had been held for more than 5 years. Although the U.S. government places the highest priority on the safe recovery of kidnapped Americans, it is U.S. policy not to make concessions to or strike deals with kidnappers. Consequently, the U.S. government’s ability to assist kidnapping victims is limited.
U.S. government officials and their families in Colombia are permitted to travel to major cities in the country, but normally only by air. They cannot use inter- or intra-city bus transportation, or travel by road outside urban areas at night. All Americans in Colombia are urged to follow these precautions.
Photo Courtesy of:
http://www.cocaine.org/colombia/pablo-escobar.html
Visit their site for a summary of Pablo Escobars life and death..
http://www.cocaine.org/colombia/pablo-escobar.html
Visit their site for a summary of Pablo Escobars life and death..
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