US Issues Travel Warnings for These Caribbean, South American Countries

The US State Department has issued new travel warnings for some popular Caribbean and South American countries amid a recent uptick in crime.

According to Fox News, the State Department named Haiti, Peru, Jamaica, Chile, and Colombia, as countries of concern.

The country that received the highest level advisory was Haiti, which received a "Do Not Travel" warning from the department that said the Caribbean nation has experienced "widespread" kidnapping.

Haitian gangs reportedly often target US citizens and hold them for ransom. The department noted that Haiti has also had robberies, carjackings, and "mob killings" against suspected criminals.

Jamaica has previously pledged to send its own troops to Haiti to help the country deal with ongoing gang violence. However, Jamaica has its own crime problem. Thus, it received a "Level 3" advisory, which means to "reconsider travel."

The State Department noted that violent crimes, such as armed robberies, home invasions, sexual assaults, and homicides, are common in Jamaica.

The department warned that Jamaica had a homicide rate that ranks "among the highest in the Western Hemisphere" for several years. US government personnel had been prohibited from traveling to several areas in the country, especially at night.

Colombia has also seen violent crimes increase in recent months. The country is facing a problem with the National Liberation Army (ELN) as peace talks between the country's largest guerilla group and the government seem to break down. Drug cartels and other criminal organizations are also causing problems.

As for Chile and Peru, the State Department issued "Level 2" advisories, advising Americans to travel with "increased caution" because both countries are facing political turmoil, with massive protests periodically happening in these two South American countries.

US State Department Issues Travel Warnings Amid Rising of 'Vigilante Justice' in Haiti

The US State Department regularly assesses each country's health and security situations before adjusting the travel warnings from one, which suggests travelers should exercise normal precautions, to four, which warns American citizens not to travel there.

Haiti was given the highest level of travel advisory because the country has descended into utter chaos, with violent street gangs already taking over 60% of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

According to Al Jazeera, the violence has gotten so bad that average citizens have banded together and decided to take the law into their own hands.

Not only gang violence grows on the island, but also vigilantism as citizens begin to fight back and often aid the overwhelmed police force.

Several suspected gang members have already been killed and then lynched in the country, with some having their bodies hanged, doused with gasoline, and burned.

Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has called this rise in vigilante justice "incredibly worrying."

"We're seeing a cycle of violence that's showing no sign of ending," Shamdasani told Al Jazeera.

She added that people in Haiti are now "living in a nightmarish scenario and there's very little hope, so they're taking the law into their own hands."

Protesters in Peru Facing Violent Crackdowns

In Peru, the situation seems to be worsening as well. Rights groups are already calling the Peruvian government's violent response to the protests a "massacre."

The ouster of then-President Pedro Castillo has left the country in turmoil, resulting in over 60 people being killed after protesters clashed with police and soldiers during the protests.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) said in a report that police used excessive force in their violent dispersals. However, the government continues to deny committing any abuse.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Haiti Violence: More Haitians Are Joining Fight Against Gangs - From Al Jazeera