On Guard!

Ron Mader is the author of the guidebook Mexico: Adventures in Nature and the host of the Eco Travels in Latin America website http://www.planeta.com. E-mail: [e-mail].

Staying Safe in Latin America

The taxi driver appeared quiet and simpatico to Marjorie Garcia, a Mexico native. Normally, she would I have taken the Metro, but reports of crime persuaded her to take a more direct route home and she had hailed a taxi on the street.

As the taxi approached her neighborhood, the taxi driver rounded a corner and stopped the car. He turned around and faced Garcia with a pistol in his hands. "Give me your purse," he demanded. Garcia obliged and the driver ordered her out of the cab.

"It could have been far worse:' she said, reflecting on the incident. "But I hadn't been careful. I took a cab from the street and I didn't even take the time to look at the driver's identification license (mandatory in all Mexican taxis)."

Garcia, a journalist who has asked that her name be changed, is one of many victims in a growing problem that faces both locals and travelers alike throughout the region. Thieves first rob a taxi driver of his or her vehicle and then threaten unsuspecting passengers.

In the case of Mexico, the U.S. State Department has issued a stern warning for visitors, stating that they "should absolutely avoid taking any taxi not summoned by telephone or on their behalf by a responsible individual or contracted in advance at the airport" and recommends taking taxis hailed from an official "sitio" taxi stand.

The warning for Colombia is more dire, recommending that U.S. citizens avoid all "unnecessary travel" to that country.

However, not everyone agrees that the region is experiencing a crime wave.

"Things aren't getting worse, they're just being reported more:' says Don Montague, president of the non-profit South American Explorers Club. "You can create a crime wave by reporting it. That said, travelers need to be shrewd."

Being smart is what it's all about. "Despite its reputation, Mexico City is not a violent city:' says Emilia Chaillo of Kroll Associates in Mexico's capital. "You don't see crime in the streets. But it makes sense to prevent danger--as in any city in the world. Don't walk alone at night. Know the zone where you are staying. Be familiar with the layout of your neighborhood. Get a map and know where you are."

Montague suggests that travelers carry only the essentials for the day in their wallet or purse. 'Any other vital documents--credit cards, traveler's checks and large bills--should be guarded under your clothes in a money belt or leg pouch that is unseen and inaccessible:" Montague says.

Prevention is the best policy to guard against crime. "Be aware that a threat does exist:" warns Armando Lara of the Virginia-based Control Risks Group, which specializes in safety-related consultancy for multinational corporations. "Accept the reality of times. Thieves and kidnappers are profiling people in the street:"

Potential victims targeted in this manner include well-dressed executives, wearing Rolex watches and carrying briefcases. "In these times, the business traveler has to be flexible:" says Lara, who suggests asking clients or associates to come to the visitor's hotel, and if that is not possible, to dress down while on the street. "Minimize the perception of your wealth by not wearing a suit on the street or at least removing your tie:" he suggests.

If threatened, stay calm. "Do not challenge the kidnapper," says Lara. "Avoid eye contact--just like you don't want to stare a mean dog in the eye, the best profile to adopt is being submissive until the situation is over."

Keep a low profile. When in public, avoid wearing jewelry, dressing ostentatiously or talking loudly. These actions call attention to yourself as an outsider and as a potential victim.

Keep your luggage in sight at all times.

Make a copy of your passport and/or visa and keep it in a separate location, If you are robbed of your documentation, copies make replacement much easier.

Travel with only the minimum amount of cash and credit cards.

Use ATM machines that are in well-frequented and well-lit places, such as banks, not isolated booths.

If you are attacked, don't resist. In two taxi cab incidents last year in Mexico, one journalist was paralyzed and another murdered after they attempted to fight their attackers.

U.S.STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL WARNINGS

ONLINE RESOURCES

http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html

Country-by-country warnings are issued when the local embassy and State Department recommend that U.S. citizens avoid travel to a certain country or particular region Also check out

http://ds.state.gov/travel.html.

OFFICIAL BRITISH TRAVEL WARNINGS

http://www.fco.gov.uk/travel/default.asp

Travel advice from the Consular Division of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, London.

SOUTH AMERICAN EXPLORERS CLUB

http://www.samexplo.org/warnmem2.htm

This New York-based club has offices in Ecuador and Peru, providing up-to-date information about crime advisories as well as potential natural disasters and health-related alerts.

PINKERTON GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE

http://pgis.pinkertons.com/pet/

Fee-based reports covering 200 countries.

KROLL INFORMATION SERVICES 

http://kins.kroll-ogara.com/index.cfm

Kroll Travel Watch provides business subscribers with city-specific advisories for nearly 300 cities worldwide. Also available: The Daily Intelligence Briefing, with reports on terrorist activities, political strife, kidnapping incidents, crime trends, and other security concerns.

CORPORATE RISK INTERNATIONAL

http://www.corprisk.com/

Specializing in cases involving kidnapping, illegal detentions and extortions, due diligence investigations, crisis management planning, intelligence and risk analysis, security and safety surveys, executive protection, and expatriate security matters.