Central America

El Salvador: Sharp Drop in Kidnappings

Date: November 30th, 2011 |

Kidnappings in the country dropped by 50 percent in 2011 compared with last year. Despite the sharp decline, there has been a surge in “express kidnappings,” crimes in which the assailant holds the victim for a few hours and demands that the victim hand over money from his or her bank account. Rodolfo Delgado, the [read more]

Guatemala: State of Siege in Place in Alta Verapaz

Date: December 22nd, 2010 |

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The government imposed a 30-day state of siege in the central province of Alta Verapaz to combat violence caused by a brutal Mexican drug gang that infiltrated the area a few years ago. The region, which is home to several popular national parks, has become a corridor for transporting drugs from Honduras to Mexico. The [read more]

Guatemala: Road Closure May Make Lake Atitlan Hard to Reach until January

Date: November 10th, 2010 |

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The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City strongly recommends deferring travel to Lake Atitlan until January because the road from the Department of Solola to Panajachel on the lake will be closed until the end of the year while a new road is being built. The Embassy reported that alternate routes to Panajachel by road or [read more]

Nicaragua: Leptospirosis Outbreak in Leon, Chinandega, and Elsewhere

Date: October 27th, 2010 |

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Health officials reported 16 deaths and 600 suspected cases of leptospirosis in the past month. The disease is spread through water contaminated with the urine of wild and domestic animals and is a potential risk for anyone who bathes, swims or is otherwise exposed to it in rivers, lakes or pools filled with fresh water. [read more]

Guatemala: Mudslides Close Roads Across Country

Date: September 8th, 2010 |

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Mudslides triggered by heavy rains swamped roads around the country and killed dozens, including, rescuers trying to dig out victims buried in vehicles. Areas near Solola, Tecpan, Colomba and Antigua were seriously affected. The slides disrupted travel on the Inter-American Highway and more rain was [read more]

Panama: Tourists Now Get Free Health Insurance

Date: February 9th, 2011 |

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Panama now offers tourists free emergency health care to anyone who enters the country through Tocumen International Airport. Since January 17, all tourists have been able to obtain the free medical insurance at the tourist information center in the immigration area. The insurance is good for the first 30 days of travel and includes [read more]

Dominican Republic: Cholera Arrives from Haiti

Date: November 23rd, 2010 |

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Cholera has spread from neighboring Haiti to the Dominican Republic, but the likelihood that the disease will affect tourists is minimal. Cholera spreads via poor sanitation and the popular tourist areas in the country have adequate health systems in place. The disease is also easily treatable, but for impoverished Haiti it is not so simple. [read more]

Honduras: Crime at Tegucigalpa Basilica Prompts U.S. Embassy Restrictions

Date: November 3rd, 2010 |

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The U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa now restricts access for U.S. diplomats and their families to Tegucigalpa’s Basilica of Suyapa, authorizing them to visit the popular tourist site only as part of an organized tour that provides armed security for the group. The church is in a high crime area and has been the site of [read more]

El Salvador: Crime Gangs Shut Down National Transport

Date: September 15th, 2010 |

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Criminal gangs protesting a new law that will make gang membership a crime shut down the public transport system throughout the country for several days by telling drivers and business owners to heed the closure or “face the consequences.” Thousands of troops were deployed to protect those who did try to move about the cities [read more]

Nicaragua: Santo Domingo Festival to Bring Out the Partiers

Date: August 4th, 2010 |

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The ten-day Festival of Santo Domingo, celebrating Managua’s patron saint, will culminate with a procession and horse parade Aug. 10 that will draw large crowds to the vicinity of Iglesia Las Sierritas in the Santo Domingo neighborhood. The celebration will continue on into the early morning and heavy drinking is expected. Traffic jams are likely [read more]

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