Latin America Warns About Traveling to U.S. After Mass Shootings

Tourists from all over the world are being warned that if they travel to the United States, their lives may be in danger because our country is prone to mass shootings. The latest travel warning comes from two Latin countries: Uraguay and Venezuela, as well as from Japan. However, several other countries have also issued warnings to their residents about visiting the U.S., and those include Germany, Canada, China, and New Zealand.

On Monday, Uruguay’s Office of Foreign Ministry urged extreme caution about traveling to the U.S. after two back-to-back mass shootings in the U.S. They urged Uruguayans to “take precautions in the face of growing indiscriminate violence.” They also added that violence in the U.S. is “mostly for hate crimes,” and includes “racism and discrimination, which cost the lives of more than 250 people in the first seven months of this year.” Some of the cities they urged caution over visiting include Detroit, Baltimore, and Albuquerque because they are listed as some of the most dangerous cities in the world.

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Venezuela, who’s also considered “a dangerous country,” said people should practice extreme caution while traveling in the U.S. The Ministry of Popular Power for Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela said that “growing acts of violence have found echo and sustenance in the speeches and actions impregnated with racial discrimination and hatred against migrant populations, pronounced and executed from the supremacist elite who hold political power in Washington.” They added, “This year alone, these actions have cost the lives of more than 250 people.” Venezuela also cited a Forbes article from 2019 that lists Cleveland, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Baltimore, Maryland; St. Louis, Missouri; Oakland, California; Memphis, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; Stockton, and Buffalo, among the most dangerous cities.

On Sunday, after the mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, the Japanese consulate in the U.S. issued a warning to Japanese residents living in the U.S. They noted that they “should be aware of the potential for gunfire incidents everywhere in the United States — a gun society — and continue to pay close attention to safety measures.”

Belgium, China, Canada, Germany, and New Zealand have also issued travel warnings of their own. The Belgium government said that the U.S. poses no direct threat but adds, the “crime rate is nevertheless higher than in European cities. As the use of firearms is largely liberalized, crimes are often violent.”

If you’re one of those prideful American citizens who feel strongly that this nation is still strong and other countries pose a bigger threat. Consider this: “The United States has the 28th-highest rate of deaths from gun violence in the world: 4.43 deaths per 100,000 people in 2017 — far greater than what is seen in other wealthy countries,” NPR reports. However, when you compare our gun violence to third-world countries, we may be trailing behind, but is that the measure we’re really seeking to have? We’re not as dangerous as El Salvador, so bonus points for us?

And for those U.S. residents that are currently traveling and visiting other countries, perhaps you may want to consider extending your travels and avoid coming back home.