Advisories

From February 9 to March 10, Polish farmers will protest against EU agricultural policies across Poland nationwide, triggering major roadblocks.

From February 9 to March 10, planned demonstrations by Polish farmers are expected to take place across Poland nationwide. Farmers will denounce agricultural policies put into place by the European Union. Throughout this month-long period, protesters will block major travel routes throughout the country, including border crossings with Ukraine. Given previous incidents, clashes between protesters and law enforcement officials are likely.

On February 13 expect major travel delays and power outages across Victoria Province, Australia, including Melbourne, due to heavy rainstorms.

Severe rainstorms through February 13 have resulted in mass power outages and rail disruptions in Victoria Province, Australia. Flooding and landslides have caused one-half of Loy Yang power station to disconnect from the grid, leaving 500,000 buildings without power. Half of the metropolitan rail lines within the Melbourne area have been suspended due to the loss of power, causing major travel delays.  

Large anti-far right protests to cause travel disruptions in Berlin and Dresden, Germany through February 13.

Through February 13, demonstrations against the far-right will continue to occur in Dresden and Berlin. The protests come in response to the growing success of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. On February 3, protesters in Berlin blocked the entrance to the Reichstag. Previous protests have drawn over 100,000 people.

Expect significant business and travel disruptions in the Valparaiso Region of Chile in the coming weeks due to ongoing wildfires, which have left at least 112 dead as of February 5, making it the nation’s deadliest disaster since 2010.

Beginning on February 2, wildfires have spread across the coastal mountains of Chile in the Valparaíso Region, northwest of Santiago. As of early February 5, at least 112 people have died and almost 14,000 homes have been impacted by the fires. Weather conditions in the area caused the fires to spread rapidly. Fires currently threaten the edges of popular tourist cities like Vina del Mar and Valparaiso.

Anticipate significant travel disruptions across China nationwide as Lunar New Year celebrations are underway in the coming weeks.

In the upcoming weeks, anticipate significant travel disruptions as Lunar New Year celebrations take place across China. Celebrations are scheduled to continue until February 17, leading to likely delays in transportation due to heightened traffic congestion and increased travel throughout the month. Business disruptions are also expected, as offices may operate on shorter hours during the holiday period.

Expect major travel disruptions and an increased security presence in and around Paris, France, due to ongoing demonstrations by agricultural unions, including roadblocks, on January 29.

On January 29, the Interior Minister of France announced the mobilization of 15,000 officers to enhance security measures in the wake of mass agricultural protests, dubbed “Operation Paris Siege”. Protesters have utilized vehicles to block parts of the A1, A4, A5, A6, A13, A10, A15, and A16 major motorways around Paris, constricting traffic. Of particular concern for authorities is the Rungis International Food Market, and both of the city’s major airports.

SafeAbroad travelers are advised to use a high degree of caution using dating apps when in Colombia due to a State Department report highlighting a string of recent suspicious deaths related to their use.

The U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, has alerted citizens in the country to avoid using dating apps due to a string of eight suspicious deaths of Americans between the months of November and December. This comes amid a 200% spike of reports of theft against foreign visitors, and a 29% increase in violent crime in the late stages of 2023. These deaths have either been presented as homicides or drug overdoses.

Beginning on January 8, a nationwide state of Emergency has been declared in Ecuador due to several prison riots and a general lack of safety in the country, bringing a curfew and significant restrictions to the freedoms of individuals until at least March 8.

On January 8 President Daniel Noboa declared a nationwide state of emergency in Ecuador until March 8 to get a handle on prison riots and organized crime throughout the country. The SOE comes with significant restrictions to personal freedoms of individuals including right to assembly and a curfew from 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM, with exceptions only for essential staff and those with flights during these hours.

An aircraft collision on January 2 at Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport left seventeen Japan Airlines passengers wounded. Five Japanese Coast Guard aircraft crew members were killed, with one seriously wounded.

At 5:47 PM, January 2, Japan Airlines flight 516 collided with a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft while landing at Haneda Airport. Flight 516 suffered a fire, which destroyed the aircraft. All 379 passengers and crew of flight 516 were evacuated with 17 injuries. Five of six Coast Guard aircraft crew members were killed. All four runways were initially closed after the incident, with flights rerouting to Narita International Airport, but three runways have reopened.

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