MONTEVIDEO - Uruguay on Monday issued a warning to its citizens traveling to the United States after two mass shootings over the weekend that killed 31 people in Texas and Ohio.
In a press release, the Foreign Ministry advised avoiding cities such as Detroit, Baltimore and Albuquerque, which it said are among the 20 most dangerous in the world, citing an index by CEOWORLD magazine.
Travelers are urged to take precautions "in the face of growing indiscriminate violence, mostly for hate crimes, including racism and discrimination, which cost the lives of more than 250 people in the first seven months of this year," it said in the release also posted on President Tabare Vazquez's website.
The U.S. State Department had issued its own travel advisory for Uruguay on Aug. 2 due to an increase in violent crime, including homicides, armed robberies and carjacking.
On Saturday, several Mexican citizens were among the 21 people killed at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas authorities said. Hours later, another gunman killed nine people in downtown Dayton, Ohio.