TRAVEL INFORMATION
Important Warden Message for American Citizens in Colombia December 6, 2007 Please see our Warden Message Archive. The U.S. Embassy in Bogota wishes to alert U.S. citizens in Colombia to recent violent armed robberies against U.S. citizens while hiking on wooded trails in and around Bogotá. As a result of these robberies, the U.S. Embassy has restricted official American employees and their family members from hiking on trails above Avenida Circunvalar in Bogotá or on trails at Rocas de Suesca in Cundinamarca Department. Armed robberies against U.S. citizens have occurred at both locations in the past two months. If you plan to hike on wooded trails in and around Bogotá, we encourage you to do so only in large groups, and to consider hiring private security to accompany you. While we do not have any indications that the perpetrators are targeting U.S. citizens specifically, Americans and other tourists are often vulnerable to this type of crime because of their perceived affluence. In case of an emergency involving a U.S. citizen in Colombia, please contact the Consular Section at the Embassy in Bogotá, located at Calle 24 Bis No. 48-50. Emergency telephone contact may be made 24 hours a day at (571) 315-0811. General information for U.S. citizens in Colombia is available on the Embassy website at http://bogota.usembassy.gov. For the latest security information about travel in Colombia and other countries, Americans should regularly monitor the Department of State’s website at http://travel.state.gov/, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Consular Information Sheets, and Public Announcements can be found. Up-to-date information on security is also available by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada, or for callers elsewhere by dialing 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except U.S. federal holidays. American citizens traveling or residing overseas are encouraged to register with the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the Department of State’s travel registration website at http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/tips/registration/registration_1186.html