Uruguay and Venezuela are now warning their citizens to be on guard for hate crimes when traveling to the U.S. in the wake of shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio that left 31 people dead.
Uruguay’s foreign ministry released an official alert to Uruguayan citizens on Monday.
“The Ministry of Foreign Relations warns citizens traveling to the United States to exercise caution amid growing violence, largely hate crimes of racism and discrimination, that’ve taken over 250 lives in the first six months of this year,” the statement reads in Spanish.
The foreign ministry says that given the “impossibility” of the American authorities to “prevent these situations” and the “indiscriminate” possession of guns in the U.S., Uruguayans are advised to avoid crowded places, especially if they have children with them.
The government of Venezuela also warned its citizens on Monday to be “extra careful” when traveling to the U.S. “given the recent proliferation of violent acts and hate crimes.”
American law enforcement is investigating the El Paso shooting as domestic terrorism and a hate crime after authorities found a racist manifesto about a “Hispanic invasion” that they believe may have been written by the El Paso shooter.
Mexico’s foreign minister is threatening to take legal action against the U.S. over the shooting, which took the lives of seven Mexican citizens.
“Mexico is outraged. But we aren’t proposing to meet hate with hate,” Mexican foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Sunday, according to the Guardian. “We will act with reason and according to the law and with firmness.”
It hasn’t taken long for America to become, what’s that phrase? Oh yeah, a shithole country.
Thanks, Toadglans.
As an American, this is embarrassing. But I tell my own kids to be very careful and to always be aware of their surroundings when they go to the mall, the theater, or really, any public place, so who can blame Uruguay for saying the same basic thing?
Back in 2011, I was in Ibague, Colombia doing a homestay during a year of traveling abroad. I was still learning Spanish via immersion at the time, but spending a lot of time watching TV with my Colombian family. I was there at the time when Gabrielle Giffords was shot in Tucson, and it was a big news story in Colombia.
I will never forget hearing my Colombian family remarking at the news at how dangerous a place America must be.
Even the Colombians, who are no strangers to violence themselves, think the US is a dangerous place.
I’m just waiting for the day the US State Department warns American citizens from traveling in America.
I asked my son who’s a student if he wanted a bulletproof backpack. Yeah, the greatest country.