The following message from the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá is for all American citizens traveling in or living in Colombia. Please pass to other American citizens in Colombia.Taxi crime in Colombia
April 6, 2006
Robbery of taxi passengers has become a serious problem in large cities in Colombia, and especially in Bogotá. In recent months, many people, including American citizens, have been attacked and robbed after entering taxis. Four official Americans assigned to the Embassy have been victimized in this way in just the past three months. In one recent case in Bogotá, an American citizen was seriously wounded.
Typically, the driver of the taxi – who is one of the conspirators – will pick up the passenger, and will then stop to pick up two or more armed cohorts, who enter the taxi with weapons, overpower the passenger, and take his/her belongings. If the passenger has an automated teller machine card, the perpetrators will often force the passenger to withdraw money from various ATM locations. Such ordeals can last for hours.
In almost every case of this type, the victims have been riding alone and have hailed their taxis off the street. Rather than hailing a taxi, you should take advantage of the telephone dispatch service that most taxi companies offer. If you do not have a phone, most hotels, restaurants, and stores will call a dispatcher for you. When a taxi is dispatched by telephone, a record of the call and the responding taxi is created. Additionally, the passenger receives a code from the dispatcher, which helps ensure that the correct taxi has arrived. In some locations, such as large shopping malls and major airports, taxi stands have been set up, and they too provide a measure of security because a company employee generally creates a written record of the ride.
For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at travel.state.gov, where current Worldwide Cautions, Public Announcements, Travel Warnings, and Consular Information Sheets can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
The U.S. Embassy in Colombia is located at Avenida El Dorado and Carrera 50 in Bogotá; telephone (011-57-1) 315-0811 during business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or 315-2109/2110 for emergencies during non-business hours. The U.S. Consular Agency in Barranquilla, which provides limited consular services, is located at Calle 77B, No. 57-141, Piso 5, Centro Empresarial Las Americas, Barranquilla, Atlantico, Colombia; telephone (011-57-5) 353-2001.
