AMERICAS

Mexico

On Wednesday, April 10, travelers in Chiapas state should avoid rallies organized by the CNI-CIG indigenous union as a precaution. Participants will march in several urban centers, including Tuxtla Gutierrez, Arriaga, Comitan de Dominguez, Ocosingo, Palenque, San Cristobal de las Casas and Tapachula, at 9:00 AM local time. The events will mark the 100th anniversary of the assassination of revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata and will highlight several issues, including demands for greater inclusion of indigenous people in Mexican society and opposition to recent education reforms.

Venezuela

All travel to Venezuela should be deferred amid an ongoing political crisis; travelers in country should depart. Sporadic power outages and shortages of food, water and fuel, as well as demonstrations in urban centers, have exacerbated the situation. Juan Guaido, the National Assembly-recognized interim President, has called for nationwide protests on Wednesday, April 10 to demand the removal of President Nicolas Maduro.

AFRICA & THE MIDDLE EAST

Lebanon

Today, travelers in Beirut should plan journeys avoiding a sit-in protest at 12:00 PM local time at Riad el Solh Square. Municipal workers are protesting delayed salary payments.

Libya

Travelers in northwestern Libya, particularly Tripoli, should depart the country due to heightened tensions and fighting between the rival Government of National Accord (GNA) and Libyan National Army (LNA). Yesterday, several diplomatic missions said they would remove their staff from Tripoli, with local sources reporting a heightened risk of disruption to operations at Mitiga International Airport (MJI). All travel to Libya should be deferred, and those currently in areas outside the northwest should also depart the country.

Mali

Heightened security measures should be expected in major cities ahead of the election. On Thursday, April 11, travelers in Bamako and other urban centers should avoid nationwide marches called by teachers’ unions as a precaution and to minimize inconvenience. Since March 11, teachers have staged strikes and related protests over living and working conditions, and have so far failed to reach an agreement with the government. While the rally routes are unclear, precedent suggests that the Bourse du Travail, Monument de l’independence, and the Aci 2000 neighborhood are likely locations in Bamako.

South Africa

Today, travelers in Johannesburg should continue to plan routes bypassing Alexandra Township. Travelers should also be aware of a march to the City Office in the nearby, upscale Sandton area. Although the march was planned for 7:00 AM local time, reports on social media indicate that it has been delayed due to bad weather. Should the march proceed, traffic disruption should be expected along a section of the M1 Highway and the Grayston Drive exit and overpass. All gatherings should be avoided due to risk of unrest.

Today, travelers in Johannesburg should plan journeys avoiding a rally by the Congress of South African Students. Participants will march to the headquarters of the ruling African National Congress at Luthuli House over various issues, including improved school infrastructure. Authorities have approved the event, which is likely to pass off peacefully, but may cause traffic disruption.

Sudan

Travelers should continue to avoid anti-government demonstrations due to a credible risk of unrest. Protests continued last night in front of the Military Headquarters along Giyada Street in Khartoum, despite police firing live ammunition to disperse protesters. Gunfire exchange reportedly occurred between some members of the military and police. Gunshots were also heard this morning, though exact details remain unclear.

Uganda

Yesterday, authorities said that a kidnapped US National and her local driver had been released. Four unidentified armed men had abducted the two on April 2 from the Queen Elizabeth National Park in the Kasese district. Abductions of foreign nationals are rare in Uganda; however, the kidnapping highlights the high travel security risks within 18.6 miles of the porous Congo (DRC) border, due to the continued insecurity in that country and the risk of spillover.

ASIA & THE PACIFIC

Bangladesh

Thousands of people have been infected with chickenpox (varicella) in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar. Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease that, although generally mild, can cause serious illness in infants, adults, and pregnant women. It spreads from person-to-person via direct contact with infected droplets that have been coughed or sneezed into the air, or by contact with the rash. Common symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, and headache followed by a characteristic rash of red, itchy blisters. Travelers should prevent infection through vaccination and observing general hygiene practices.

Travelers in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, and Rajshahi divisions should anticipate disruption during protests by workers of state-owned jute mills beginning Friday, April 12. The demonstrations are being held following unsuccessful negotiations with the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) over wages and other issues. The protest campaign includes rallies on April 12 at all BJMC mills and strikes on April 15-18 at all plants, during which workers plan to block roads and railway tracks daily from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM local time. Travelers should reconfirm the status of routes before setting out and avoid all demonstrations.

On Sunday, April 14, travelers should expect heightened security and associated disruption during Bengali New Year (known locally as Pohela Boishakh) celebrations. Authorities are likely to impose traffic restrictions around major celebratory events on the day. Travelers should avoid all related gatherings as a routine precaution.

China

On January 29, the United States formally requested the extradition of a Huawei senior executive who was arrested in Canada on December 1, 2018. The request follows a criminal indictment made by the US Department of Justice on January 28 against Huawei, for violations of trade sanctions against Iran. Since the high-profile arrest, several Canadian Nationals were detained by Chinese law enforcement, while another was sentenced to death over drug trafficking charges by a Chinese court. These incidents have resulted in increased tensions.

Indonesia

On Saturday, April 13, travelers in Jakarta should anticipate increased security and associated disruption around the Sultan Hotel. The final Presidential Election Debate will be held at 7:00 PM local time at the hotel. The debate coincides with the official conclusion of the campaign period for the April 17 General Elections. A heightened security force presence and traffic restrictions are likely around the hotel, causing disruption, especially during the evening rush hour.

Sri Lanka

Travelers should anticipate disruption to travel and business activity, including in Colombo, during Sinhala and Tamil New Year (Aluth Avurudda) celebrations from Saturday, April 13 through Monday, April 15. New Year is celebrated by ethnicSinhalese and Tamil populations across the country to mark the end of the harvest season. While New Year’s Day itself is on Sunday, April 14, the government has also declared Monday, April 15 a public holiday. Travelers should book transportation well in advance and expect congestion at transportation terminals and on key roads during the holiday period.

EUROPE

Regional

Travelers in the Commonwealth of Independent States, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, should continue to anticipate sporadic disruption due to a recent series of anonymous bomb threats. The threats have targeted universities, government buildings, airports and other transportation hubs, theaters, business centers, shopping malls, and schools. On Saturday, April 6, passengers were evacuated from a plane on the tarmac at Moscow Domodedovo Airport (DME). Between March 31 and April 2, there were multiple evacuations of hotels, shopping centers, and government buildings in Kiev.

Poland

Today, travelers in Warsaw should expect a shortage of taxis and possible disruption during a planned protest and strike by taxi drivers against app-based ride-share services such as Uber and Taxify. Participants will gather at 10:00 AM local time at the Prime Minister’s Office, before marching past the Ministry of Justice, US Embassy, Trzech Krzyzy Square, and Ministry of Enterprise and Technology. Drivers have also threatened to block the highway between Warsaw and Lodz as part of the protest, which should be avoided as a precaution.

Ukraine

Today, travelers in Kiev should avoid the vicinity of the National Police Headquarters due to an ongoing rally by the far-right National Corps. The group is demanding President Petro Poroshenko be charged with fraud and bribery during the recent Presidential Election. The gathering should be avoided due to the risk of unrest.

NOTEWORTHY EVENTS