Is Latin America dangerous for tourists?

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Shep

Some countries in Latin America experience periodic political violence aimed at national government targets or even at foreigners. In a number of countries, kidnapping for political and/or profit motives is widespread and U.S. citizens sometimes fall victim. In addition to checking the latest Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings and Public Announcements, you may also want to contact the U.S. embassy in the country or countries you plan to visit for the most up-to-date information on the security situation.

Always carry your papers with you and do not overstay the validity of your visa or tourist card. Sometimes hotels will keep passports overnight for registration purposes, but hardly ever longer than one day.

Avoid public demonstrations. Travelers can accidentally become injured if caught up in them. Also, American citizens have been arrested when local authorities have thought they were participating in civil demonstrations. If you are detained or arrested for any reason, ask to speak with a U.S. consular officer.

andy_jp

Yes, it can be dangerous, so it's important to stay aware and take the sort of precautions you should take on any holiday. Having said that, there are much more dangerous places you could visit. I'd avoid going out in large cities at night. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have some great information on a variety of countries:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618386586

shanesha12

yes in some parts of latin amreica

Rishi

It depends in the country.

Venezuela actually its not so dangerous as the people tell, if you take care of yourself without getting in trouble and in dark and lonely places you can enjoy every place in the world without fear of being kidnapped of get robbed.

Latin America is a beautiful continent and their countries are so pretty and so high in vegetation so it would be an excellent idea if you visit Latin America once in a while to explorate other worlds and cultures.

cowart100

We found Venezuela fairly safe, however, if you are a young female traveling alone I would be extremely careful and definitely would not venture out alone at night. ECowart

Not Allie

Well, most big cities are fairly dangerous at night. As long as you keep to good areas of town and don't carry or flash around large amounts of money, you should be fine.

I just got back from Mexico City and nothing happened to us- we just stayed in well-lit areas after dark and didn't leave the area near our hotel after eight or nine. I think that as long as you're smart about everything you'll be fine.

woldage

No, that statement is way too generalized.

Large cities can be dangerous, especially in not very good neighboorhoods. But frankly, any large city in the world deals with similar problems (New York, LA, Madrid, etc).

Be aware of your circumstances, don't flash the cash or fancy cameras too much. And pay attention to guidebooks and other sources to find areas to be wary of. However, all in all, we are way to overly cautious in this regard.

I've been to Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Argentina and Brazil. Heading to Guatemala this month.

D.J.

no its actually better

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