Musa says U.S. Travel Advisories Don’t Make Sense  

The U.S. State Department has issued a level two travel advisory, urging citizens to be extra cautious when visiting Belize due to high levels of violent crime. The advisory highlights common crimes like sexual assault, home invasions, armed robberies, and murder, even in tourist areas during the day. It also points out that local police often lack the resources and training to handle serious crimes effectively, leaving many cases unresolved and unprosecuted. We asked Home Affairs Minister Kareem Musa how his ministry plans to address these concerns. Here’s what he had to say.

 

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“Oftentimes  in my discussions with the U.S. embassy raise my concerns, especially over the last two or three years where we have seen a downturn in the number of homicides each year. And I think we are actually beating fifteen or so states in the homicide rate. It could be argued that Belize should be issuing a travel advisory to those fifteen states. We are very close partners with the U.S. Embassy. And it is something that I flag each year that it doesn’t it certainly doesn’t make sense in my opinion why it is that these travel advisories are issued when in fact there is that downturn. But no doubt I think travelers on their own have seen the beauty and charm of Belize. They don’t find it as a violent destination. And so we see that increase, I think by sixty thousand overnight passengers in just 2024, we have increased. Remarkable numbers are coming out of the Ministry of Tourism. And certainly it doesn’t seem that travel advisory is having any kind of negative effect.”