The State Department issued a travel advisory for Americans planning to visit the Dominican Republic, a top Caribbean destination, due to an increase in violent crime and sexual assaults.
The advisory issued was a yellow flag-level two, urging travelers to “exercise increased caution” while heading to this Caribbean hotspot.
“Violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide, and sexual assault is a concern throughout the Dominican Republic,” the department stated in its advisory. “The wide availability of weapons, the use and trade of illicit drugs, and a weak criminal justice system contribute to the high level of criminality on the broader scale.”
Playa Blanca beach in Dominican Republic (Cristina Perez/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
SHARK BITES LEG OFF AMERICAN TOURIST IN TURKS AND CAICOS: REPORT
The State Department advises that Americans planning to visit resorts are likely to be safer, as these areas “tend to be better policed than urban areas like Santo Domingo.”
Moreover, the implementation of a 911 emergency call system in many parts of the country and a tourist police force have made top destinations safer for Americans traveling to the eastern side of the island of Hispaniola.
The Dominican Republic shares Hispaniola with Haiti, which has seen some of the most dangerous and severe living conditions in the Western hemisphere in recent years.
Gang violence in Haiti has ramped up drastically as poverty and corruption have run unchecked following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
