The State Department on Tuesday issued a stern travel warning for another Caribbean nation, warning that Jamaica has been rocked by 65 murders this month.
The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica raised the travel warning to Level 3, “Reconsider Travel,” which is just one level away from the most severe, which warns Americans not to travel altogether.
Crime has become so widespread that tourists are not even safe in the shelter of their resorts, the embassy said.
“Violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults and homicides, are common. “Sexual assaults occur frequently, even at all-inclusive resorts,” the warning states.
“Local police often fail to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents. When arrests are made, cases are rarely prosecuted until a conclusive sentence is obtained,” he continued.
“Families of US citizens killed in accidents or homicides often wait a year or more for Jamaican authorities to issue final death certificates.”
According to the State Department, Jamaica has reported one of the highest homicide rates in the Western Hemisphere in several years.
The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica raised the travel advisory to Level 3, “Reconsider Travel.” Jamaica Police Force
At least 65 people were killed between January 1 and 27 of this year, data from the Jamaica Constabulary Force shows.
Surprisingly, the high homicide rate has decreased compared to last year: 81 people were murdered in the first month of 2023.
At least 1,393 homicides were reported throughout last year, after 1,498 murders in 2022.
At least 65 people have been killed in Jamaica since early January. Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
Jamaica has not reported fewer than 1,000 murders per year since 2003, data shows. The country has a population of 2.8 million.
The travel warning marks the second the State Department has issued against a Caribbean nation in days.
On Friday, the U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas placed the island on a Level 2 “Exercise Increased Caution” warning, telling Americans to keep a low profile during their visit and not to fight back if they are victims of a crime. .
“Local police often do not respond effectively to serious criminal incidents,” warned the US Embassy in Jamaica. dpa/Picture Alliance via Getty Images
While not as bad as Jamaica, the Bahamas was rated unsafe for tourists amid 18 murders – “mostly” motivated by gang violence – in January alone.
“Murders have occurred at all hours, even in broad daylight, on the streets,” the embassy wrote in a statement, also recommending the use of “extreme caution” on the east side of the Bahamian capital, Nassau.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn