COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO REP. RANGEL FOR

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000857

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OTRA OVIP BB
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO REP. RANGEL FOR
TRAVEL TO BARBADOS

REF: STATE 90748


1. Embassy Bridgetown warmly welcomes and grants clearance to
Congressman Rangel to travel to Barbados from July 1-4, 2007,
for the purpose of attending the 28th meeting of the
Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM.


2. The control officer for Congressman Rangel's visit is
Martina Strong. Mrs. Strong can be reached by telephone at
(W) 246/227-4274, (C) 246/823-2813, (H) 246/420-3267, or by
email at StrongMA@state.gov. DCM Gilroy can be reached at (W)
246/227-4218, (C) 246/823-2358, (H) 246/428-9176, or by email
at GilroyME@state.gov. Congressman Rangel will be met upon
arrival in Bridgetown by DCM Gilroy and Mrs. Strong. The
Embassy emergency telephone number is 246/227-4066.


3. The CARICOM Secretariat has made hotel arrangements at
the Hilton, tel: 246/426-0200, for Congressman Rangel.


4. The Barbados Ministry of Foreign Affairs protocol office
will also assign a control officer and provide a Government
of Barbados car and driver for the duration on the visit.


5. Entry/departure requirements: Mission policy is that all
USG travelers to the region be in possession of a valid
passport. Visas are not required for short visits. Visitors
are granted up to 28 days upon entry, which can be extended
through the Barbados Immigration Department for up to six
months.


6. The exchange rate in Barbados is two Barbados dollars for
one U.S. dollar. U.S. currency, traveler's checks, and
credit cards are routinely and widely accepted.


7. The following is general information pertaining to
security and health considerations throughout the Eastern
Caribbean:

Security
--------------

We know of no specific threat related to the CARICOM Heads of
Government meeting or to the Embassy,s July 4th celebration.
In the Eastern Caribbean, foot travel outside of
well-established tourist areas is not generally recommended,
especially at night. Be vigilant when using public
telephones or ATM machines near roadsides or quiet areas. As
in many U.S. metropolitan areas, wearing expensive jewelry,
carrying expensive objects, or carrying large amounts of cash
should be avoided. Visitors should also safeguard valuables
while at the beach. While hotels are generally safe, many
visitors have experienced loss of unattended items. Hotel
burglaries are not uncommon and all valuables should be
locked in room safes if possible.

Health
--------------

Throughout the Eastern Caribbean, the most likely threat to a
visitor's health is sunburn. It takes several weeks to
become accustomed to the heat and humidity. Prolonged
exposure to the sun, without protection, causes sunburn and
may ultimately result in sun-damaged skin or even skin
cancer. Sunscreens should be used for protection. In
Barbados, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines the
major health threat is dengue fever, transmitted by mosquito.
Dengue cases are most often seen in the summer months.
Persons should therefore protect themselves with insect
repellent. There is a growing number of HIV/AIDS cases
reported. The Eastern Caribbean enjoys clean and safe
drinking water. Only routine boosters for immunizations
(i.e., tetanus, diphtheria, and oral polio vaccine) are
required when traveling to this region. Barbados has the
best medical facilities of all the islands in the region and
most of the medical specialties have practitioners here.
GILROY