Greetings

I am writing to commend the service I received from Adam Bates during the application process for the “Liaison Continental Health Insurance” offered by your company.  He took the time to understand what I needed and offered his suggestions and feedback to my questions promptly.  I have purchased the plan for my upcoming trip.

I wish to make you, as president of the company, aware of his efforts.  The quality service he provided for me while choosing an insurance plan was greatly appreciated.

Best Regards

Kevin L.

U.S. Embassy Maputo released the following Warden Message on September 2, 2010:

Demonstrations and clashes with security forces continue at various locations around Maputo. Some demonstrations are violent with demonstrators throwing rocks at passing vehicles, burning and or overturning them. Roadblocks have been set up at various key intersections, some using burning tires. The route to the airport is only intermittently passable. Demonstrations are mobile and can change locations at any moment. Gunshots have been reported throughout the city. All private schools including the American International School remain closed. Air travel service has been disrupted in light of the disturbance. Please contact your airline for further information.

We urge American citizens to avoid all unnecessary travel and remain at your residence/hotel, especially after dusk, until further notice. The U.S. Embassy will continue to operate, but will only provide emergency American citizen services. All non-emergency embassy employees remain excused from duty.

The Mission reminds U.S. citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. U.S. citizens are therefore urged to avoid areas of demonstrations and to not cross picket lines.

As the Department of State continues to develop information on any potential security threats to U.S. citizens overseas, it shares credible threat information through its consular information program documents, available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov. In addition to information on the Internet, travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. or outside the U.S. and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.

In a press release on the company’s website, www.mexicana.com, the airline pledged to assist passengers to the best of its abilities. Passengers who have already flown a leg of their journey are advised to consult the company’s website for further information. The company notes that priority assistance will be provided to “minors traveling unaccompanied, passengers traveling with children under age 3, and special needs passengers.” Individuals who have not yet begun their journey on one of the Mexicana airlines are recommended to make alternative travel arrangements.

The Department of State advises all travelers with reservations on Mexicana, MexicanaLink or MexicanaClick to consult the company’s website for additional guidance and contact information for the airline. Passengers who may become stranded in the middle of their journey and who require assistance beyond that provided by the airline should contact their nearest Embassy or Consulate.

U.S. Department of State released the following Travel Alert on August 27, 2010:

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against entering North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK), without first having received explicit official permission and an entry visa from the Government of North Korea. The North Korean government will prosecute and sentence those who enter the DPRK without proper documentation. North Korea’s penalties for knowingly or unknowingly violating North Korean laws are much harsher than are those in the United States for similar offenses. The Government of North Korea imposes heavy fines and long prison sentences with hard labor on persons who enter the country without a valid passport and a North Korean visa. The United States and the DPRK do not have diplomatic and consular relations.

Travel by U.S. citizens to North Korea is not routine, and U.S. citizens crossing into North Korea without proper documentation, even accidentally, have been subject to arrest and long-term detention. Since January 2009, four U.S. citizens have been arrested for entering North Korea without the necessary documents. Three were charged with illegal entry and “crimes against the State.” Three were sentenced to long prison terms with hard labor under hazardous conditions, and one also received a significant fine.

Since the United States does not maintain diplomatic or consular relations with North Korea, the U.S. Government cannot provide normal consular services to its citizens in North Korea. The Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang is the U.S. Protecting Power in North Korea. It provides limited consular services to U.S. citizens traveling in North Korea who are ill, injured, arrested, or who have died while there. As with other host nations, consular officials cannot obtain the release of U.S. citizens from the host government’s judicial system, i.e., release citizens from foreign prisons, influence the outcome of trials or pay criminal fines.

Even if you are a U.S. citizen entering North Korea with a valid passport and a valid visa for North Korea, you may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned for knowingly or unknowingly violating the laws of North Korea. Foreign visitors to North Korea may be arrested, detained, or expelled for activities that would not be considered criminal in the United States, including involvement in unsanctioned religious and political activities, engaging in unauthorized travel, or interaction with the local population. If you travel unescorted inside North Korea without explicit official authorization, North Korean security personnel may view your actions as espionage. Security personnel may also view any unauthorized attempt you make to talk to a North Korean citizen as espionage. North Korean authorities may fine or arrest you for unauthorized currency transactions or for shopping at stores not designated for foreigners.

North Korean authorities have detained foreign nationals who questioned the policies, public statements, or the actions of the current or former leadership of North Korea. North Korean authorities may also view taking unauthorized pictures as espionage, confiscate cameras and film, and/or detain the photographer. North Korean border officials routinely confiscate visitors’ cell phones upon arrival, returning the phone only upon departure.

The U.S. Department of State released the following Travel Warning on August 27, 2010:

The Department of State has issued this Travel Warning to inform U.S. citizens traveling to and living in Mexico about the security situation in Mexico. The authorized departure of family members of U.S. government personnel from U.S. Consulates in the northern Mexico border cities of Tijuana, Nogales, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey and Matamoros remains in place. However, based upon a security review in Monterrey following the August 20, 2010 shooting in front of the American Foundation School in Monterrey and the high incidence of kidnappings in the Monterrey area, U.S. government personnel from the Consulate General in Monterrey have been advised that the immediate, practical and reliable way to reduce the security risks for children of U.S. Government personnel is to remove them from the city. Beginning September 10, 2010, the Consulate General in Monterrey will become a partially unaccompanied post with no minor dependents of U.S. government employees. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Mexico dated July 16, 2010 to note the changing security situation in Monterrey.

Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year. This includes tens of thousands who cross the border every day for study, tourism or business and at least one million U.S. citizens who live in Mexico. The Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors to major tourist destinations. Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major drug trafficking routes. Nevertheless, crime and violence are serious problems. While most victims of violence are Mexican citizens associated with criminal activity, the security situation poses serious risks for U.S. citizens as well.

It is imperative that U.S. citizens understand the risks involved in travel to Mexico, how best to avoid dangerous situations, and who to contact if one becomes a victim of crime or violence. Common-sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, and avoiding areas where criminal activity might occur, can help ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and enjoyable. U.S. citizen victims of crime in Mexico are urged to contact the consular section of the nearest U.S. Consulate or Embassy for advice and assistance. Contact information is provided at the end of this message.

General Conditions

Since 2006, the Mexican government has engaged in an extensive effort to combat drug-trafficking organizations (DTOs). Mexican DTOs, meanwhile, have been engaged in a vicious struggle with each other for control of trafficking routes. In order to prevent and combat violence, the government of Mexico has deployed military troops and federal police throughout the country. U.S. citizens should expect to encounter military and other law enforcement checkpoints when traveling in Mexico and are urged to cooperate fully. DTOs have erected unauthorized checkpoints, and killed motorists who have not stopped at them. In confrontations with the Mexican army and police, DTOs have employed automatic weapons and grenades. In some cases, assailants have worn full or partial police or military uniforms and have used vehicles that resemble police vehicles. According to published reports, 22,700 people have been killed in narcotics-related violence since 2006. The great majority of those killed have been members of DTOs. However, innocent bystanders have been killed in shootouts between DTOs and Mexican law enforcement or between rival DTOs.

Recent violent attacks and persistent security concerns have prompted the U.S. Embassy to urge U.S. citizens to defer unnecessary travel to Michoacán and Tamaulipas, to parts of Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, and Coahuila, (see details below) and to advise U.S. citizens residing or traveling in those areas to exercise extreme caution.

Violence Along the U.S.-Mexico Border

Much of the country’s narcotics-related violence has occurred in the northern border region. For example, since 2006, three times as many people have been murdered in Ciudad Juarez, in the state of Chihuahua, across from El Paso, Texas, than in any other city in Mexico. More than half of all Americans killed in Mexico in FY 2009 whose deaths were reported to the U.S. Embassy were killed in the border cities of Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana.

Since 2006, large firefights have taken place in towns and cities in many parts of Mexico, often in broad daylight on streets and other public venues. Such firefights have occurred mostly in northern Mexico, including Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Chihuahua City, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, Piedras Negras, Reynosa, Matamoros and Monterrey. Firefights have also occurred in Nayarit, Jalisco and Colima. During some of these incidents, U.S. citizens have been trapped and temporarily prevented from leaving the area.

The situation in northern Mexico remains fluid; the location and timing of future armed engagements cannot be predicted. U.S. citizens are urged to exercise extreme caution when traveling throughout the region, particularly in those areas specifically mentioned in this Travel Warning.

The level of violence in Monterrey is increasing and has spread to areas near a school which many U.S. citizen children attend. Local police and private patrols do not have the capacity to deter criminal elements from areas around schools. Given the increasing level of violence that is occurring all over Monterrey, school children are at a significantly increased risk. Based on this, and combined with the high incidence of kidnappings in the Monterrey area, U.S. government personnel from the Consulate General have been advised that the immediate, practical and reliable way to reduce the security risks for their children is to remove them from the city. Beginning September 10, 2010, the Consulate General in Monterrey will become a partially unaccompanied post with no minor dependents of U.S. government employees.

In recent months, DTOs have used stolen trucks to block major highways and thus prevent the military from responding to criminal activity, most notably in the area around Monterrey. Also in Monterrey, DTOs have kidnapped guests out of reputable hotels in the downtown area, blocking off adjoining streets to prevent law enforcement response. DTOs have also attacked Mexican government facilities such as military barracks and a customs and immigration post.

The situation in the state of Chihuahua, specifically Ciudad Juarez, is of special concern. Mexican authorities report that more than 2,600 people were killed in Ciudad Juarez in 2009. Three persons associated with the Consulate General were murdered in March, 2010. U.S. citizens should defer unnecessary travel to Ciudad Juarez and to the Guadalupe Bravo area southeast of Ciudad Juarez. From the United States, these areas are often reached through the Fabens and Fort Hancock, TX ports-of-entry. In both areas, American citizens have been victims of drug related violence. There have been recent incidents of serious narcotics-related violence in the vicinity of the Copper Canyon in Chihuahua.

The Consular agency in Reynosa, Tamaulipas was closed temporarily in February 2010 in response to firefights between police and DTOs and between DTOs. In April 2010, a grenade thrown into the Consulate compound at 11:00 PM caused damage to the U.S. Consulate General in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. The Consulate General in Nuevo Laredo and the Consular Agency in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, were closed for one day as a result. The Consulate General in Nuevo Laredo prohibits employees from entering the entertainment zone in Nuevo Laredo known as “Boys Town” because of concerns about violent crime in that area.

Between 2006 and 2009, the number of narcotics-related murders in the state of Durango increased ten-fold. The cities of Durango and Gomez Palacio, and the area known as “La Laguna” in the state of Coahuila, which includes the city of Torreon, have experienced sharp increases in violence. In late 2009 and early 2010, four visiting U.S. citizens were murdered in Gomez Palacio, Durango. These are among several murders in the state of Durango that have been cause for particular concern and that remain under investigation.

Travelers on the highways between Monterrey and the United States (notably through Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros) have been targeted for robbery that has resulted in violence and have also been caught in incidents of gunfire between criminals and Mexican law enforcement. Travelers should defer unnecessary travel on Mexican Highway 2 between Reynosa and Nuevo Laredo due to the ongoing violent competition between DTOs in that area. Criminals have followed and harassed U.S. citizens traveling in their vehicles in border areas including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, and Tijuana. U.S. citizens traveling by road to and from the U.S. border through Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Durango, and Sinaloa should be especially vigilant. Criminals appear to especially target SUVs and full-size pick-up trucks for theft and car-jacking along these routes.

Continued concerns regarding road safety along the Mexican border have prompted the U.S. Mission in Mexico to impose certain restrictions on U.S. government employees transiting the area. Effective July 15, 2010, Mission employees and their families may not travel by vehicle across the U.S.-Mexico border to or from any post in the interior of Mexico. This policy also applies to employees and their families transiting Mexico to and from Central American posts. This policy does not apply to employees and their family members assigned to border posts (Tijuana, Nogales, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, and Matamoros), although they may not drive to interior posts as outlined above. Travel is permitted between Hermosillo and Nogales, but not permitted from Hermosillo to any other interior posts.

Crime and Violence Throughout Mexico

Although narcotics-related crime is a particular concern along Mexico’s northern border, violence has occurred throughout the country, including in areas frequented by American tourists. U.S. citizens traveling in Mexico should exercise caution in unfamiliar areas and be aware of their surroundings at all times. Bystanders have been injured or killed in violent attacks in cities across the country, demonstrating the heightened risk of violence in public places. In recent years, dozens of U.S. citizens living in Mexico have been kidnapped and most of their cases remain unsolved.

One of Mexico’s most powerful DTOs is based in the state of Sinaloa. Since 2006, more homicides have occurred in the state’s capital city of Culiacan than in any other city in Mexico, with the exception of Ciudad Juarez. Furthermore, the city of Mazatlan has experienced a recent increase in violent crime, with more murders in the first quarter of 2010 than in all of 2009. U.S. citizens should defer unnecessary travel to Culiacan and exercise extreme caution when visiting the rest of the state.

The state of Michoacán is home to another of Mexico’s most dangerous DTOs, “La Familia.” In June 2010, 14 federal police were killed in an ambush near Zitacuaro in the southeastern corner of the state. In April 2010, the Secretary for Public Security for Michoacán was shot in a DTO ambush. Security incidents have also occurred in and around the State’s world famous butterfly sanctuaries. In 2008, a grenade attack on a public gathering in Morelia, the state capital, killed eight people. U.S. citizens should defer unnecessary travel to the area. If travel in Michoacán is unavoidable, U.S. citizens should exercise extreme caution, especially outside major tourist areas.

U.S. citizens should exercise extreme caution when traveling in the northwestern part of the state of Guerrero, which likewise has a strong DTO presence. U.S. citizens should not take the dangerous, isolated road through Ciudad Altamirano to the beach resorts of Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo. The popular beach resort of Acapulco has been affected by narcotics-related violence. In April 2010, three innocent bystanders were killed in a shootout between Mexican police and DTO members in broad daylight in one of the city’s main tourist areas. In the same month, numerous incidents of narcotics-related violence occurred in the city of Cuernavaca, in the State of Morelos, a popular destination for American language students.

U.S. citizens should also exercise extreme caution when traveling in southern Nayarit in and near the city of Tepic which has recently experienced unpredictable incidents of DTO violence. The number of violent incidents involving DTOs has increased in recent months throughout Jalisco, Nayarit and Colima.

U.S. citizens traveling to towns and villages with large indigenous communities located predominantly but not exclusively in southern Mexico, should be aware that land disputes between residents and between residents and local authorities have led to violence. In April 2010, two members of a non-governmental aid organization, one of whom was a foreign citizen, were murdered near the village of San Juan Capola in Oaxaca.

Safety Recommendations

U.S. citizens who believe they are being targeted for kidnapping or other crimes should notify Mexican law enforcement officials and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City or the nearest U.S. consulate as soon as possible. Any U.S. visitor who suspects they are a target should consider returning to the United States immediately. U.S. citizens should be aware that many cases of violent crime are never resolved by Mexican law enforcement, and the U.S. government has no authority to investigate crimes committed in Mexico.

U.S. citizens should make every attempt to travel on main roads during daylight hours, particularly the toll (”cuota”) roads, which generally are more secure. When warranted, the U.S. Embassy and consulates advise their employees as well as private U.S. citizens to avoid certain areas, abstain from driving on certain roads because of dangerous conditions or criminal activity, or recommend driving during daylight hours only. When this happens, the Embassy or the affected consulate will alert the local U.S. citizen Warden network and post the information on their respective websites, indicating the nature of the concern and the expected time period for which the restriction will remain in place.

U.S. citizen visitors are encouraged to stay in the well-known tourist areas. Travelers should leave their itinerary with a friend or family member not traveling with them, avoid traveling alone, and check with their cellular provider prior to departure to confirm that their cell phone is capable of roaming on GSM or 3G international networks. Cell phone coverage in isolated parts of Mexico, for example, the Copper Canyon, is spotty or non-existent.

Do not display expensive-looking jewelry, large amounts of money, or other valuable items. Travelers to remote or isolated venues should be aware that they may be distant from appropriate medical, law enforcement, and consular services in an emergency situation.

U.S. citizens applying for passports or requesting other fee-based services from consulates or the Embassy are encouraged to make arrangements to pay for those services using a non-cash method. U.S. citizens should be alert for credit card fraud, especially outside major commercial establishments.

American employees of the U.S. Embassy are prohibited from hailing taxis on the street in Mexico City because of frequent robberies. U.S. citizens are urged to only use taxis associated with the organized taxi stands (”sitios”) that are common throughout Mexico.

U.S. citizens should be alert to pickpockets and general street crime throughout Mexico, but especially in large cities. Between FY 2006 and FY 2009 the number of U.S. passports reported stolen in Mexico rose from 184 to 288.

Demonstrations and Large Public Gatherings

Demonstrations occur frequently throughout Mexico and usually are peaceful. However, even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate to violence unexpectedly. Violent demonstrations have resulted in deaths, including that of an American citizen in Oaxaca in 2006. During demonstrations or law enforcement operations, U.S. citizens are advised to remain in their homes or hotels, avoid large crowds, and avoid the downtown and surrounding areas.

Demonstrators in Mexico may block traffic on roads, including major arteries, or take control of toll-booths on highways. U.S. citizens should avoid confrontations in such situations.

Since the timing and routes of scheduled marches and demonstrations are always subject to change, U.S. citizens should monitor local media sources for new developments and exercise extreme caution while within the vicinity of protests.

The Mexican Constitution prohibits political activities by foreigners, and such actions may result in detention and/or deportation. U.S. citizens are therefore advised to avoid participating in demonstrations or other activities that might be deemed political by Mexican authorities. As is always the case in any large gathering, U.S. citizens should remain alert to their surroundings.

Further Information

U.S. citizens are urged to monitor local media for information about fast-breaking situations that could affect their security.

U.S. citizens are encouraged to review the U.S. Embassy’s Mexico Security Update. The update contains information about recent security incidents in Mexico that could affect the safety of the traveling public.

The U.S. Mission in South Africa alerts U.S. citizens to the potential disruption of services resulting from the ongoing public service strike. Strike action has been concentrated around, but not limited to, public schools and hospitals, and may affect U.S. citizens utilizing or traveling near those institutions. Many public schools remain closed and access to public health care is blocked in most provinces. If the strike action continues for an extended period of time, there is the potential for widespread demonstrations throughout the country, which could further restrict access to hospitals and schools. Some demonstrations at public hospitals have resulted in persons being denied access into the hospitals by protesters, as well as diminished health care services at public hospitals due to reduced staff levels. As a result, U.S. citizens are urged to seek services from private hospitals during the strike if public hospitals are short-staffed or access to them is blocked by protesters. It should be noted that U.S. citizens should expect to have to pay in advance for services at private hospitals. U.S. citizens should also remain alert to reports of demonstrations interfering with traffic. The strike is not currently impacting border crossings or airports.

The U.S. Mission advises U.S. citizens to plan accordingly, remain alert, and monitor local broadcast media for updates on the strike.

The Mission reminds U.S. citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. U.S. citizens are therefore urged to avoid areas of demonstration, planned demonstrations and to not cross picket lines.

The Second Travel Warningis to inform U.S. citizens that U.S. Government employees and contractors have been directed not to stay at the Westin Grand Cape Town located at Convention Square on Lower Long Street, Cape Town, until further notice. This directive was issued because of multiple theft reports from U.S. Government employees visiting the hotel. None of the reported thefts were violent in nature. The U.S. Mission in South Africa is investigating the situation in coordination with hotel administration and will advise all U.S. citizens of any change in this policy.

Please note that this prohibition is for U.S. Government personnel travelling on official business and applies to this single location and does not apply to any other hotel sites.

The Health Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade is informing U.S. citizens planning to travel to northern Greece about the West Nile Virus.

The Greek Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) has recently reported new cases of West Nile Virus in northern Greece. The West Nile Virus, which is transmitted through mosquito bites, can affect the central nervous system of patients and, in severe cases, can cause encephalitis. The virus is not transmitted from person to person and mosquitoes do not acquire the virus from infected people; therefore the only public health risk is to those living in or traveling to the area.

These outbreaks often peak and wane in a matter of weeks. The best way to prevent the disease is to prevent mosquito bites.

Copyright © 2010, U.S. Department of State

Effective August 24, the State Department lifted the Authorized Departure of Embassy personnel and canceled the Travel Warning for the Russian Federation. These actions were taken due to the reduction of fire activity around Moscow and to the improvement in air quality.

Copyright © 2010, U.S. Department of State

U.S. Consulate General Guadalajara released the following Warden Message on August 24:

Due to recent gun battles involving automatic weapons between rival drug trafficking organizations in Yahualica, Jalisco, the U.S. Consulate General in Guadalajara has suspended all travel to the city of Yahualica by U.S. government personnel including family members. The Consulate General recommends that all U.S. citizen visitors and residents avoid unnecessary travel to the city of Yahualica.

This new restriction is in addition to previous security restrictions on official U.S. government travel within the consular district: no intercity driving at night; all official US government travel to the city of Tepic, Nayarit must be in armored vehicles. While these restrictions apply only to U.S. government personnel and their families, all resident US citizens and visitors are encouraged to take these restrictions into consideration when planning personal travel.

There are no other restrictions on U.S. government personnel travel to other locations within the consular district which consists of the states of Aguascalientes, Nayarit, Jalisco, and Colima. The Consulate General strongly encourages U.S. residents and travelers Mexico to refer to the personal safety practices contained in the Travel Warning for Mexico dated July 16.

Copyright © 2010, U.S. Department of State

Additional strikes are possible in the upcoming weeks.  If your mission team is scheduled to visit S. Africa then we recommend contacting your airline, mission organization and local transportions and determine what affects the strikes might impose on your trip.   If you are concerned about possible delays and unexpected additional travel expenses as a result, then contact us for a Roundtrip or Trip Protector travel insurance quote.  Call Insurance Services of America at 800.647.4589 for direct assistance.