Haiti: Government Refutes U.S. Travel Warning

By Larry Habegger and Laurie Weed | Permalink |

No Comments | January 20th, 2013 | Trackback

Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe objected to an updated travel warning, issued by the U.S. State Dept. Dec. 28, that cited problems such as violent crime, cholera outbreaks and lack of infrastructure—particularly medical and emergency services. Calling the warning unfair, Lamothe said it singled out Haiti at a time when the island nation is trying to recover from the devastating 2010 earthquake and rebuild its tourism industry. Noting a significant drop in violent crime in December, including kidnappings, he proclaimed Haiti “one of the safest destinations, not only in the Caribbean, but in all of Latin America.” The State Department’s travel warning paints a different picture.