Travel advisories were to protect American citizens says US Ambassador to Trinidad

United States Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Roy Austin, said the series of travel advisories by the U.S. State Department, which have been issued to American citizens traveling to Trinidad and Tobago, were not meant to alarm the wider population.

Dr. Austin said the warnings were simply reminders to US citizens and Embassy officials of certain dangers that could occur. He added that these were not for the media to make a story.

Speaking in an interview on national television on Thursday Ambassador Austin said the last advisory issued which warned US citizens to stay away from populated areas of the capitol Port of Spain, between October 9 and 12, had been blown out of proportion, the information having somehow been leaked to the press.

“That was an effort to protect our citizens in this country. You may not be aware of it but our biggest responsibility as an Embassy in this country is to protect American citizens. If we see something that looks like a pattern and we decide that this can threaten the lives, limbs, property of American citizens, it is our responsibility to warn them and that´s what was done in that advisory,” said Ambassador Austin.

“This was not something others were supposed to get a hold of. Somehow it got into the media as often happens the stories became blown out of proportion,” he added.

The advisories came in the wake of several bombings and bomb threats in the city over the past months. The Canadian and British governments have also issued similar advisories to its citizens traveling to Trinidad and Tobago.