US responds to Bahamas travel advisory | Caribbean News Now

By Royston Jones Jr.
Nassau Guardian Staff Reporter

NASSAU, Bahamas — The US Embassy in Nassau said on Thursday that its crime warning on The Bahamas this week was in no way linked to the ministry of foreign affairs’ travel advisory on the United States last Friday.

The new crime warning led many Bahamians to assert that the latest US travel alert was a ‘tit for tat’ affair in response to the advisory from the Bahamian government.

“Our July 12 message to US citizens was not linked in any way to the July 8 travel advisory issued by The Bahamas’ ministry of foreign affairs,” the embassy said in response to enquiries from The Nassau Guardian.

“Just as the United States has a responsibility to inform its citizens when traveling abroad, the Bahamian government has the same right and responsibility to inform its citizens traveling to the United States.”

The Bahamian government issued the travel advisory on the heels of the fatal shootings of two black men in Louisiana and Minnesota last week, and after five police officers were killed and seven others were injured by a shooter who opened fire during a rally in Dallas.

The advisory, which was widely carried by US media on the weekend, said, “Do not be confrontational and cooperate. Bahamians have been advised to stay away from any political demonstrations under any circumstances.”

The ministry of foreign affairs denied that it issued the advisory for political reasons, after former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) assistant director Tom Fuentes said on CNN the reason appeared political.

The US crime warning, which came four days later, warned Americans traveling to The Bahamas of a “significant increase” in armed robberies in New Providence, particularly at ATM machines and said citizens should use a “buddy system” and avoid using ATMs in isolated areas.

On Thursday, the embassy said, “The protection of US citizens is the US Embassy [in] Nassau’s top priority.

“In carrying out this responsibility, we periodically send messages to ensure that US citizens are aware of ongoing issues and trends that may affect their safety and security while traveling abroad.

“The embassy recently warned its staff and their families to exercise additional caution due to increasing reports over the past six months of armed robberies on New Providence and Paradise Island targeting patrons of ATM machines, parking venues at retail locations, and armed carjackings.

“The embassy is legally required to issue a similar message to US citizens.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said on Tuesday that the embassy provided notice last week that it was preparing to issue the new security warning on The Bahamas.

He said the embassy noted that it was repeating the same information the police force provided to Bahamian citizens about using ATM machines and there was nothing “particularly unusual” about the crime warning.

He also insisted that while there are those who have conspiracy theories, in this case there is none and “the timing, I am certain, is just coincidental”.

As it relates to the embassy’s claim of a “significant increase” in armed robberies, minister of national security Dr. Bernard Nottage said on Wednesday that “the US is wrong in their statement”.

Nottage told Parliament in June that armed robberies overall were down 21 percent in the first six months of the year compared to the same period last year.

Republished with permission of the Nassau Guardian