Santiago Chile Travel Advisory Updated

According to updated travel advice by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), following civil unrest across the Republic of Chile in October and November, there is potential for further demonstrations in Santiago, Valparaiso, Antofagasta, Concepcion, and other major cities.

This FOC’s travel advice updated on December 20, 2019, continued saying ‘In Santiago, Chile’s capital city, protests have largely taken place in Plaza Baquedano, Plaza Italia and in Las Condes, Providencia and Vitacura districts.’

Moreover, the FOC says ‘if protests take place, you should follow the instructions and advice of the local authorities, remain vigilant, monitor local media for updates and avoid protests and demonstrations.’ 

‘Under Chilean law, foreign nationals visiting or living in Chile could be deported for involvement in protests and demonstrations,’ states the FOC’s website.

This is important news, since over 6 million people visited Chile in 2018, with about 80,000 British nationals visitors.

But, recent research undertaken by ForwardKeys, revealed that the unrest in Chile has taken a tremendous toll on tourism. Flight bookings to Chile prior to the unrest were up about 5 percent on the equivalent period in 2018. However, travel bookings to Chile have substantially decreased since then. 

The country of Chile occupies a very long strip of land between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west in South America. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far southern end of the country.

Separately, the Candian government’s travel advice for Chile was last updated on December 11, 2019, suggesting visitors 'exercise a high degree of caution.’

Previously, the US Department of State Embassy in Santiago published a security notice on December 2, 2019, which said ‘Protests in Santiago and around the country have been spontaneous and mobile with incidents of violence. Monitor local media for the most up-to-date information regarding active protests.’

The US State Department says ‘visitors should remain vigilant and avoid demonstrations.’

Furthermore, US citizens should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.

U.S. citizens needing assistance can contact the Embassy in Santiago.

• The phone number: +56 2 2330 3716 (8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M) and +56 2 2330 3000 
• Email address: [email protected]; Embassy website, and State Department Consular Affairs 888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444.

These travel advisories are related to the Chilean government’s declaration of a State of Emergency in late October 2019. At that time, the State of Emergency in Chile was expected to last 15 days in the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about 7 million residents.

The government-imposed State of Emergency was lifted on October 28, 2019. 

In reaction to these actions, the U.S. Department of State updated the Level 2 Travel Advisory regarding Chile on November 8, 2019.

This Advisory says ‘While the State of Emergency was lifted, conflicts between protestors and Chilean police in Santiago have continued.’

From a health perspective, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its travel guidance for Chile on March 29, 2019.

The CDC says to ensure you are up-to-date on several Routine Vaccines before visiting Chile.  

This includes a measles vaccination since Chile was listed in the CDC’s Global Measles Outbreak Notice published in June 2019.

Additionally, the CDC suggests these travel vaccinations: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, and Rabies.

Rabies is present in bats in Chile. However, it is not a major risk to most travelers. CDC recommends rabies vaccine for travelers involved in outdoor and other activities in remote areas that put them at risk for bat bites, such as adventure travel and caving.

Travel news is published by Vax-Before-Travel.