COLOMBIA INSURANCE – COVER IS VITALLY IMPORTANT

Bellwood Prestbury is experienced in arranging quality cover for high risk situations and occupations. We can organise all of your Colombia insurance for people, property or company liabilities, including:

• Kidnap insurance – this will provide for trained negotiators and ransom, or other threatening scenarios like extortion
• Medical emergency evacuation insurance – provides air ambulance evacuation in the event of a medical emergency and should be included in your international health insurance in Colombia
• Global life and accident insurance – provides a lump sum in the event of a death, or compensation for injury due to accident or violence
• International liability insurance – this could insure anything from protecting business interests, to covering liability claims from employees, the public or other bodies

This beautiful, equatorial country has been blighted by terrorist and drug-related violence for decades. Although the security situation has been improving in recent years, it still has one of the world’s highest kidnap and homicide rates. Foreign nationals are advised to keep up to date with the local situation in the area they are visiting or working in, and to consider provision for kidnap and ransom in their Colombia insurance.

Remote regions are generally more dangerous in terms of guerrilla and drug trade activity and there is also the risk of landmines and other unexploded ordnance.

Severe heavy rains can affect large parts of Colombia, causing landslides and making road travel treacherous. Be mindful that if you are injured in a remote area, evacuation by air ambulance may be your only option, which can be staggeringly expensive if you don’t have appropriate Colombia insurance cover.

In urban areas, including the capital Bogota, violent street crime is a major problem, and foreigners are a tempting target. If possible leave valuables in a safe place and carry a small amount of ‘decoy’ notes to hand over if you are accosted. Don’t resist robbery as the risk of being shot is high.

Take particular care when using ATMs. Decline all offers of food, drink, drugs, cigarettes, toiletries and even pamphlets from strangers – these can be impregnated with burundanga, a highly sedative drug that can even be absorbed through the skin and is a favoured method of robbery by some thieves.