U.S. State Department Issues Travel Advisory for Belize

Kareem Musa

On November thirteenth, the U.S. Department of State issued a Level Two travel advisory for Belize, urging travelers to exercise heightened caution due to a notable prevalence of crime. The department attributes a substantial portion of these crimes to gang activities and has elevated the alert level for Belize City to Level Three. Last week, Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Courtenay expressed disappointment, citing recent crime statistics indicating a decrease. Minister Courtenay also said that Belize’s position on the Israel-Gaza conflict bears no correlation with the travel advisory. Today, Home Affairs Minister Kareem Musa told reporters that the advisory came at a coincidental time.

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“We have to take the official position of the United States of America at face value, Marisol. The ambassador is saying that that is an old travel advisory. I know that it appears to have been updated. But if that is what the United States is saying that it has no connection to this, then we have to take that at face value because they are our strategic partners in many different aspects, not just in the Ministry of Home Affairs, but other areas in health and everything. So, we have to accept their word for it. Of course, it does come at a very coincidental time, but I do not see how you can issue a travel advisory, a new one, if there is a new one, when crime is at its very lowest since 2007. That is over sixteen years that we’ve not seen a crime rate this low, and so it is totally unjustified if it is a new one, but again, we have to take, the ambassador’s word and the American’s word that it is not connected to this.”