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The
level of ‘high degree of
caution’ is an official
government of Canada
Travel Advisories and is
issued when the safety and
security of Canadians
traveling or living in the
country may be
compromised. / A.M.
Costa Rica wire services
photo
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The Canadian
government issues “high
caution’ advisory for
travelers in Costa Rica
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By the
A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Canadian government has
issued an ‘Exercise a
High-Degree of Caution’ advisory
for Costa Rica due to crime.
The exercise a high degree of
caution on identifiable safety
and security concerns or the
safety and security situation
could change with little notice.
For that reason Canadian
Government advises its citizens
to monitor local media and
follow the instructions of local
authorities. The level of ‘high
degree of caution’ is in
official government of Canada
Travel Advisories and is issued
when the safety and security of
Canadians traveling or living in
the country may be compromised.
In its statement, the Canadian
government said “the rate of
drug-related violent crimes,
including homicides, is on the
rise in Costa Rica. Drug
trafficking is common. Local
drug use, including crack, is a
major concern.”
The Canadian government adds
that violent crime against
foreigners, though not frequent,
is a concern. Incidents of armed
robberies, carjacking and home
invasions have occurred in beach
areas and on the main highways
in the Central Valley region,
even in daylight. “Violent
assaults against Canadians have
occurred in Puerto Limón and
Puerto Viejo,” said the
government in its statement. For
those reasons, the government
published a list of
recommendations:
- Do not walk alone after dusk
or at dawn.
- Avoid remote or isolated
areas, including roads and
trails.
- If you are threatened by armed
criminals, do as they ask
without hesitation, as resisting
may result in the escalation of
violence.
Related to express kidnapping,
the Canadian government said in
its statement “Cases of express
kidnapping, where victims are
picked up from the street and
forced to withdraw funds from
ABMs, have occurred, sometimes
at gunpoint.”
Related to petty crime, those
crimes, “including pickpocketing
and bag snatching occur
frequently. Tourists are common
targets for theft because they
are perceived as being wealthy.”
“Cases of passport theft are
extremely common and increase in
frequency during the peak
tourist seasons, from November
to May and from July to August”,
said Canadian Government. For
those reasons, the government
added this advice:
- Stay alert and be aware of
your surroundings.
- Avoid isolated areas and never
walk alone at night.
- Avoid showing signs of
affluence and never leave
valuables such as money, credit
cards, jewelry, cell phones and
other electronics unattended,
especially on beaches.
- Don’t carry large amounts of
cash and use caution at
automated banking machines
(ATMs).
- Ensure that your personal
belongings, including your
passport and other travel
documents, are secure at all
times.
- Carry a photocopy of the
identification page of your
passport, including the Costa
Rican entry stamp, with you at
all times.
The Canadian government also
reports that foreigners are
often victims of theft on buses
and at bus stations, airports,
ports, crowded tourist
attractions, restaurants and
resort areas. Thieves often work
in teams, in which one thief
diverts the victims’ attention
while the other snatches their
possessions. The additional
advice includes:
- When traveling by public bus,
avoid placing personal
belongings in the overhead
compartment or under your seat.
- Keep your bag with valuables
and identification in your lap.
- Stay at hotels and rental
houses that have security
measures such as guards and
security cameras.
- Always lock your doors, even
while in the room or if you
leave for a few minutes.
- Don’t leave valuables in plain
sight.
Exercise particular caution in
the capital, San José. High-risk
areas for theft include: the Coca Cola bus
terminal* (near the Zona
Roja or red light district), the
inner downtown area and public
parks.
On the Caribbean coast, be
particularly vigilant in Limón
province towns of Cahuita,
Puerto Limón (its port areas)and
Puerto Viejo.
In Puntarenas province,
the areas are of particular
concern for theft, Dominical,
Jacó, Manuel Antonio, Quepos,
Cobano, Mal País, Montezuma ,
Santa Teresa, and the port of
Puntarenas.
Also was mentioned cars parked
near the popular crocodile
viewing area along the Tárcoles
River near Jacó are particularly
vulnerable to theft when a
designated police patrol car is
not on site.
Related to theft from vehicles,
Canadian government said “Theft
from vehicles is very common,
especially at hotels,
supermarkets, restaurants, store
lots, national parks and
beaches.”
According to the alert notice,
“the theft of rental cars is
also common throughout the
country. Thieves know the makes
and models of rental cars,
making them easy targets.” The
government recommendations are:
- Don’t leave your passport or
your valuables in the car, even
if you leave the car for only a
few minutes.
- Park your vehicle in
supervised “parqueos públicos”
(public parking lots).
- Keep your windows up and doors
locked at all times.
- Beware of “good Samaritans”
offering to help change a flat
tire. Calmly refuse their help
and contact Costa Rican
authorities and, if you rented
the car, the rental agency.
- Don’t stop to change a flat
tire in an isolated area, and
keep the doors of the vehicle
locked while changing a tire.
- Ensure an emergency assistance
is offered by the rental agency
when renting a car.
Another issues pointed out by
Canadian government, are:
- Credit card fraud as growing
problem.
- Incidents of sexual assault
against foreigners at beach
resorts and by taxi drivers.
- Spiked food and drinks.
- Demonstrations take place from
time to time, particularly in
San José. Even peaceful
demonstrations can turn violent
at any time.
- Costa Rica’s constitution
prohibits political activity by
foreigners; such actions may
result in detention or
deportation.
- Costa Rica has one of the
highest traffic accident rates
in the world.
- Public bus transportation is
unreliable. Police checks of
passengers on public
transportation occur and are
often used to determine whether
foreigners have overstayed the
90-day visa exemption period.
- Only use official
radio-dispatched taxis (orange
taxis at the airport and red
taxis with a yellow triangle on
the side elsewhere in the
country).
- If navigating the coasts,
proceed with caution, as safety
and rescue operations are
limited due to a lack of
resources.
- We do not make assessments on
the compliance of foreign
domestic airlines with
international safety standards.
- Swimming: riptides are
common. Several drownings occur
each year. Very few beaches are
supervised with lifeguards or
have signs warning of dangerous
conditions.
On Adventure tourism, Canada
Government mentioned as
white-water rafting, scuba
diving, bungee jumping, canopy
touring and other adventure
sports should only be undertaken
with a well-established company
that has insurance. Safety
features on small boats are not
always reliable. If you have any
doubt concerning the safety of
the installation or equipment,
refrain from using them.
On National parks, was also
recommended,
life-threatening fauna such as
jaguars, pumas, wild pigs and
poisonous snakes are common in
some parks, especially in the
densely wooded areas.
On health safety, the Public
Health Agency of Canada has
issued advice for travelers on
the Zika virus, recommending
that Canadians practice special
health precautions while
traveling in affected countries.
Pregnant women and those
considering becoming pregnant
should avoid travel to Costa
Rica.
- On general security
information, was advised on few
services outside major hotels
are available in English (or
French). Most taxi drivers,
police officers, lawyers and
hospital workers don’t speak
English (or French).
“We take the safety and security
of Canadians abroad very
seriously and provide credible
and timely information in our
Travel Advice to enable you to
make well-informed decisions
regarding your travel abroad,”
said the Canadian government in
its statement.
More information on Travel
Advice of Canadian Government
can be reached on its web Travel.gc.ca*
It is expected that Costa Rican
government will publish a
response to this alert today.
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Do you agree with the high
degree of caution for living or
traveling in Costa
Rica? We would like to
know your thoughts on this
story. Send your
comments to: news@amcostarica.com
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