AMERICAS New President, New Colombia? On Sunday, June 19, Colombia held its Presidential runoff elections. The election pitted two very different populists against each other, with both considered anti-establishment by traditional Colombia political elites. Gustavo Petro received more than 50% of the vote over challenger Rodolfo Hernandez and will become Colombia’s next President. Petro’s election
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Travel Health Update With On Call’s Chief Medical Officer: Summer 2022
As COVID restrictions continue to ease across the globe, many experts are predicting one of the busiest summer travel seasons on record. Curious about how to prepare for a safe and healthy trip this summer? Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Michelle Nathan, weighs in on COVID, Monkeypox, and her overall sentiments on the current travel
Read MoreMonthly Risk Spotlight: May 2022
AMERICAS Cyber Risk and Preparedness in Latin America On 27 April, the Russian cybercrime group, Conti, announced that it had hacked the Peruvian Dirrección General de Inteligencia (National Directorate of Intelligence) and would release sensitive information if payment was not made. This comes after Costa Rica’s Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Finance servers were
Read More4 Common Travel Risk Management Planning Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them!)
Like any global crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed gaps in travel risk management (TRM) plans as scenarios sketched out on paper played out just a little different than expected in real life. Several common TRM ‘planning pitfalls’ can be identified from this globally shared experience which forced many risk managers to learn on their feet
Read MoreHelping Travelers Every Day: Global Emergency Assistance Snapshot
From medical and security emergencies to more common concerns like a delayed flight or missing passport—here at On Call, every phone call (or live chat, text, or email!) we receive is an opportunity to help someone get prepared for travel or solve a problem while they’re away. Read our latest global emergency assistance snapshot for
Read MoreMonthly Risk Spotlight: April 2022
AMERICAS Global Prices Spark Unrest in Peru Peru is facing significant unrest as protesters have clashed with police and disrupted overland transit throughout much of country, including Lima and Ica, since late March. The story of how these protests were initiated and progressed is one of multiple chain reactions and exhibits how in a globalized
Read MoreMonthly Risk Spotlight: March 2022
AMERICAS Prospects for US/Venezuelan Relations Amid Rising Energy Prices On March 5, high-level US officials met with Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro, in Caracas’s Presidential Palace for most strategic discussions between the US and Venezuela in over two years. Topics discussed included the ongoing detainment of nine US citizens/permanent residents of Venezuela and “regional energy security.”
Read MoreTravel Safety and Security Tips for Travelers [INFOGRAPHIC]
In our latest infographic, On Call’s Global Security Team shares some of their most essential safety and security tips for your travelers headed abroad: Want to learn more? Feel free to contact us today for more information regarding our pre-trip planning and consulting services, as well as how On Call can help protect your travelers with
Read MoreEssential Travel Safety and Security Considerations: Q&A with Drexel University’s Director of Global Safety & Operations
As conflict continues to ensue between Russia and Ukraine, safety and security are on top of mind for many who oversee international travel at their institutions and organizations. We sat down with Daniel Kampsen, Director of Global Safety and Operations at Drexel University, to talk about what he’s seeing at his institution right now and
Read MoreMonthly Risk Spotlight: February 2022
AMERICAS Journalism and Targeted Violence in Mexico In an unfortunate start to 2022, four Mexican journalists were killed this past January, including two in the city of Tijuana. Their names are Maldonado López, Margarito Martínez, Roberto Toledo, and José Luis Gamboa, and their deaths were made worse by the fact that all four were actively
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