Warden Message Regarding Floodings and Extreme Weather Conditions in Certain Areas of Bolivia

WARDEN MESSAGE, U.S. EMBASSY LA PAZ, BOLIVIA, January 29, 2010 This warden message is being issued to alert U.S. citizens residing and traveling in and around the areas of Santa Cruz, Beni, Cochabamba, the north of La Paz, and Sucre of possible travel difficulties due to bad weather. Heavy rains have caused landslides and flooding throughout those areas. At the present time access roads are clear; however this information may change depending on the weather conditions. The Government of Bolivia has issued a Disaster Declaration. Travelers should consider postponing visits to those areas until the weather conditions improve.

Bolivian authorities are working to send supplies, medicines and food to the affected areas. U.S. citizens may wish to monitor local media sources for new developments and they are encouraged to exercise extreme caution if travel to these areas is unavoidable.

For the latest security information, U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's internet website at http://travel.state.gov where the current worldwide caution, travel warnings and travel alerts can be found. Additional information is available in the country specific information for Bolivia at http://travel.state.gov and on the Embassy web page at http://bolivia.usembassy.gov.

Current information on travel and security in Bolivia may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 within the United States, or, from overseas, 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). U.S. citizens traveling or residing overseas are encouraged to register with the appropriate U.S. embassy or consulate on the State Department's travel registration web site at https://travelregistration.state.gov.

U.S. citizens may contact the consular section of the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, Bolivia, via e-mail at consularlapaz@state.gov or by telephone at (591-2) 216-8297 during business hours (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or (591-2) 216-8500 after hours and on weekends.

The consular section is located in the U.S. Embassy at 2780 Arce Avenue in La Paz, Bolivia, and is open to the public (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.).

The Santa Cruz consular agency can be reached by telephone at 591-3-351-3477 (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and the Cochabamba consular agency at 591-4-411-6313 (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.).