Central America

El Salvador: Security Issues Prompt Updated Travel Warning

Date: January 30th, 2013 |

The U.S. Dept. of State has updated its travel warning to reflect ongoing security issues in El Salvador. Crime and violence continue to be serious problems throughout the country, and while U.S. citizens do not appear to be targeted specifically, 22 Americans have been murdered there in the past two years. Extortion, kidnapping and passport [read more]

Guatemala: Protests in Chichicastenango Prompt Travel Warning

Date: January 23rd, 2013 |

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Ongoing protests in the mountain town of Chichicastenango, about 87 miles northwest of the capital, have prompted the U.S. Embassy to warn its citizens away from the area. Long popular with foreign tourists for its colorful markets and traditional indigenous culture, Chichicastenango has become a literal political hotbed since the mayor was recently accused of [read more]

Nicaragua: Evacuations Ordered After Volcanic Eruption

Date: January 2nd, 2013 |

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Authorities evacuated hundreds of people when San Cristobal, the country’s highest active volcano, began erupting Dec. 25. The red alert was downgraded a step to yellow alert a few days later, but U.S. Peace Corps volunteers were still being evacuated as a precaution, and the U.S. Embassy in Managua was recommending that Americans avoid the [read more]

Costa Rica: Medical & Dental Tourism Booming

Date: November 28th, 2012 |

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North Americans are traveling to Costa Rica in greater numbers than ever, and not just for the rainforests and tropical beaches. Due to the country’s proximity to the U.S. and safe reputation, its medical tourism niche is booming as U.S. and Canadian citizens—most of them uninsured at home—fly south to save as much as 80 [read more]

Panama: Land Sale Law Repealed Following Colon Riots

Date: October 31st, 2012 |

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The National Assembly has repealed the unpopular land-sale law that prompted more than a week of violent protests in Colon and Panama City. The law, which passed Oct. 19, would have allowed the sale of state-owned land in the Colon Free Zone, Latin America’s largest free trade zone. After escalating riots left three people dead, [read more]

Honduras: Tourist Killed for a Camera in San Pedro Sula

Date: January 23rd, 2013 |

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A British tourist was shot and killed for his camera while walking around San Pedro Sula on Jan. 15. The 33-year-old man, who was nearing the end of a month-long trip, was mugged on a residential street and then murdered when he struggled with his armed assailants over the camera and his small bag of [read more]

Costa Rica: 240 Pounds of Cocaine Seized from Tour Bus

Date: January 2nd, 2013 |

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A tour group returning from an organized shopping trip to Panama got more excitement than they bargained for when border agents found 240 pounds of cocaine hidden on their tour bus. During a routine customs inspection, a drug-sniffing dog located the drugs in a hidden compartment under the aisle. Police swarmed the vehicle and all [read more]

Guatemala: Doomsday Tourists Damage Ancient Mayan Temple

Date: December 26th, 2012 |

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Tourists flocked to the ancient sites of the Maya to celebrate the Dec. 21 “end of the world,” as predicted by the Mayan calendar, bringing a much-needed economic boost to parts of Guatemala and Mexico. However, not all of the extra attention was helpful. When an estimated 7,000 apocalypse party-goers descended on Tikal, a UNESCO [read more]

Honduras: Surge in Violent Crime Prompts Travel Warning

Date: November 28th, 2012 |

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Due to widespread violent crime reaching epidemic levels, the U.S. Dept. of State has issued an updated travel warning. Honduras now has the highest murder rate in the world, and San Pedro Sula, a longtime transit hub for travelers heading to the Copan Mayan ruins and the resort island of Roatan, has been rated the [read more]

Panama: Violent Protests Continue in Colon City

Date: October 23rd, 2012 |

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Anti-government demonstrations turned violent in Colon City after a new law passed that allows the government to sell land in the duty-free zone. Protestors have been burning tires and blocking streets in objection to this perceived threat to their jobs and income. More than 2,000 companies officially operate in the Free Trade Zone, the profitable [read more]

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