Colombia dangers

This item appears on page 18 of the January 2010 issue.

In recent years, security in Colombia has improved significantly, but in recent months there has been an increase in violent crime in many of the major cities, the Department of State reports. The incidence of kidnapping in Colombia has diminished significantly from its peak at the beginning of this decade; nevertheless, terrorist groups and criminal organizations continue to hold civilians for ransom or as political bargaining chips.

Common crime remains a significant problem throughout the country, and small towns and rural areas still can be extremely dangerous due to the presence of narco-terrorists.Â