A number of countries have warned their citizens about traveling to the United States in the wake of the two mass shooting incidents that occurred just one day apart.
Uruguay is the latest country to warn its people against visiting the crowded sites in the US, such as “theme parks, shopping centers, artistic festivals, religious activities, gastronomic fairs and any kind of cultural or sporting events.”
A statement from Uruguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that around 250 people have been killed in the horrific mass shootings in the US in the first seven months of this year.
“Given the inability of the authorities to prevent these situations, due to among other factors the indiscriminate possession of firearms by the population, it is especially advisable to avoid places where large concentrations of people occur,” the statement said, before issuing the list of sites where mass shootings had happened in the US.
“In particular, it is recommended not to go with minors to these places,” the notice added.
Although Uruguay’s close ties with neighboring Venezuela has placed it at odds with the Trump administration, the statement isn’t issued as a scoff at the US government.
Following Uruguay’s suit, Venezuela also released a warning for its citizens about traveling to the US, asking them “to avoid places where large crowds occur.”
“In particular, it is recommended not to attend these places with minors,” the statement from Caracas said, adding that the cause behind the violence “lies in the inexcusable indiscriminate possession of firearms by the population.”
According to a report by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the US is ranked 28th in the list of countries having the highest number of deaths due to gun violence.
In the light of 255 mass shooting incidents that have occurred in 2019, Japanese consulate in Detroit also advised its people to “be aware of the potential for gunfire incidents everywhere in the United States, a gun society, and continue to pay close attention to safety measures.”
However, the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s travel advice page still mentions the US as a secure country to visit.
China also issued a warning for its people, asking them to “fully assess the risk of travel to the United States, keep abreast of information on public security, laws and regulations, and improve their awareness of safety and security.”
The German foreign affairs ministry also warned its citizens to be careful in the US, adding that a German citizen was killed in recent El Paso shooting.
“It is easy to gain possession of weapons, so that it is more common for firearms use and sporadically mass shootings occur,” a statement from the ministry said.
Canada gave a moderate view, saying that “incidents of mass shooting occur, but “account for a small percentage of homicide deaths in the country.”
Belgium noted that the US “presents no particular risk to the traveler but since the use of firearms is largely liberalized, crimes are often violent.”
New Zealand probably gave the bluntest statement, noting that “active shooter incidents occur from time to time in the United States.”