An active travel advisory went out for the Dominican Republic on Tuesday. The StateDept upgraded its advisory to a 'level 2,' encouraging citizens traveling to the country to 'exercise increased caution' on its website.
The State Department upgraded its advisory to a"level 2," encouraging citizens traveling to the country to"exercise increased caution" on its website. This comes months after the U.S. Embassy there warned “darker skinned” citizens over the Caribbean country’s migration agents mistaking them for Haitian immigrants, and recommended they always have charged cellphones and their U.S. passports in their possession.
According to the department's most recent security report on the country, aggravated robbery was the No. 2 complaint in 2020, comprising 14% of all reported crimes. Meanwhile, 1,129 homicides were committed in the Dominican Republic, with a majority of them including a firearm. Some 350 of those murders were committed with a knife.
However, the department noted that there was an ongoing"development of a professional tourist police corps, institution of a 911 system in many parts of the country, and a concentration of resources in resort areas" while also clarifying that urban areas such as Santo Domingo are less policed. The Dominican Republic's Ministry of Tourism and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to the Washington Examiner's request for comment."Despite government efforts, violence against women, including rape, is pervasive. Assaults have occurred while victims are in isolated or compromising situations, sometimes at the hands of resort employees or other tourists," the department wrote.
Those victims, which also often include rape against those who identify as LGBT, are likely not to receive a rape kit until the next day or counseling at all.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
US issues travel advisory for Dominican Republic amid violence, sex assault concernsState Department issues a yellow-flag advisory for the Dominican Republic.
Read more »
US issues travel advisory for Caribbean hotspot amid violence, sex assault concernsThe State Department has issued a level two advisories urging travelers to 'exercise increased caution' when traveling to the Dominican Republic.
Read more »
New Jersey 2023 primary election resultsNew Jersey voters are casting ballots in 21 primaries for state legislature on Tuesday.
Read more »
New Skoda Kodiaq: sneak preview of Czech Republic's new flagshipFirst look at the new 2024 Skoda Kodiaq... or, at least, its bodyshell
Read more »
S&P 500 ticks up on Tuesday to close at highest level in 2023: Live updatesThe S&P 500 advanced modestly on Tuesday as Wall Street digested a recent rally that led the broad index to its highest level in nine months. The Dow closed near flat. The S&P 500 gained 0.24%. The Nasdaq rose 0.36%.
Read more »