Guatemala Warning

I just received an email from the director of the Guatemalensis language school in Xela, Guatemala about a warning for the Tajumulco volcano area that might be of interest to those planning to travel down south. The Tajumulco volcano is the highest point in Guatemala and often frequented by tourists.

The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala reports the following:

“Rumors of foreigners stealing Guatemalan children have recently surfaced in the
area surrounding the Tajumulco Volcano, an area of Guatemala frequented by
American tourists. In light of these rumors, the Guatemalan Tourist Assistance
Office (ASISTUR) advises – and the Embassy strongly endorses – that American
citizens avoid travel to the Tajumulco Volcano and the surrounding region.

Rumors of child stealing have previously resulted in the lynching deaths of
several Guatemalan citizens. Although no foreigners have been reported to be
the victim of such attacks recently, Americans are reminded to avoid gatherings
of agitated people. Avoid close contact with children, including taking
photographs, especially in rural areas. Such contact can be viewed with deep
alarm and may provoke panic and violence.

The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City can be reached at (502) 2326-4405 and is
located at Avenida Reforma 7-01, Zone 10. For emergencies (deaths, arrests,
etc.) after hours, U.S. citizens can call (502) 2331-2354 and ask for the Embassy
Duty Officer.”

Posted August 14, 2008 in: Guatemala

About Brooke

Brooke is a thrifty traveler and experience collector with a love for language learning, history and cannoli. She is the creator of the female travel focused FTU Newsletter and Her Packing List website. Other thrifty travelers can gain from her years of worldly travel experience by subscribing to the RSS feed. See also: Twitter, Facebook, Google+.

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5 Responses to Guatemala Warning

  1. Steve August 14, 2008 at 8:53 am #

    Don’t panic. It’s just Angelina Jolie expanding her family.

  2. Brooke August 14, 2008 at 9:40 am #

    Haha. Love it.

  3. Bethany August 14, 2008 at 1:55 pm #

    That’s funny!

    How wierd. I really have a hard time imagining Americans running around stealing children but i guess you never know. I know they halted adoptions down there a while ago because locals were stealing kids and giving them up for adoption.

    This is the best line:

    Americans are reminded to avoid gatherings of agitated people.

    Huh? Wouldn’t that be called a riot? I think most people of all countries try to avoid that…. hahaha.

  4. Bethany August 14, 2008 at 8:56 pm #

    p.s. i am still not getting your rss feeds :(

  5. Brooke August 14, 2008 at 3:40 pm #

    Yeah, I’m not getting them either. Is anyone reading this getting the feeds?????

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