KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday the State Department will re-evaluate its travel warnings for Jamaica and other countries to ensure they reflect real conditions on the ground.
As part of a tour of the Caribbean, Rubio heard complaints from Jamaican officials about the warning for their country, which is heavily dependent on tourism. The current travel warning for Jamaica advises Americans “to reconsider” visiting the country due to high crime rates.
While agreeing to re-look at the travel advisory, Rubio defended the Trump administration’s opposition to a Cuban government program that sends physicians and other medical workers to countries in need of such personnel, including Jamaica.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said his nation had benefitted greatly from the program that the Trump administration claims violates international labor standards and amounts to human trafficking in some instances.
Rubio’s trip will take him from Jamaica to Guyana and Suriname as the administration increasingly turns its attention to the Western Hemisphere. Rubio is also focused on weaning Caribbean countries from their dependence on Venezuelan oil and combating illegal immigration.
President Donald Trump recently announced new sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports. The Republican president has threatened to impose tariffs on goods imported into the U.S. by other countries that buy oil…
