{"license":"CC BY 4.0 — attribution: IsMyTripSafe.com","source":"https://ismytripsafe.com/bolivia/cochabamba","updatedAt":"2026-07-22T01:39:11.438Z","place":{"city":"Cochabamba","country":"Bolivia","countryCode":"BO","lat":-17.38195,"lon":-66.15995},"safety":{"score":60,"level":"MODERATE","answer":"Mostly — take normal precautions","saferThanPctOfCountries":41,"categories":[{"key":"advisories","label":"Advisories","score":62},{"key":"crime","label":"Crime","score":56},{"key":"health","label":"Health & Air","score":82},{"key":"stability","label":"Stability","score":48}]},"advisories":[{"source":"U.S. Department of State","level":2,"label":"Exercise Increased Caution","updated":"Thu, 04 Jun 2026","url":"https://travel.state.gov/content/tsg_aem/us/en/home/international-travel/travel-advisories/destination.bol.html"},{"source":"UK Foreign Office (FCDO)","level":3,"label":"Advises against all-but-essential travel to parts","updated":"2026-07-03T11:47:30Z","url":"https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/bolivia"},{"source":"Government of Canada","level":2,"label":"Exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories)","updated":"2026-07-20T16:39:29.1968542-04:00","url":"https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/bolivia"}],"indicators":[{"key":"homicide","label":"Homicide rate","value":4.41843313132273,"display":"4.4 / 100k","year":"2023","score":71,"source":"World Bank Open Data"},{"key":"crime_major_constraint","label":"Crime seen as a major business constraint","value":3.5,"display":"3.5%","year":"2017","score":89,"source":"World Bank Enterprise Surveys"},{"key":"terrorism_deaths","label":"Terrorism deaths (latest year)","value":0,"display":"0 recorded","year":"2021","score":96,"source":"Global Terrorism Database"},{"key":"road_deaths","label":"Road traffic deaths","value":17.6,"display":"17.6 / 100k","year":"2021","score":49,"source":"WHO Global Health Observatory"},{"key":"stability","label":"Political stability & no terrorism","value":56.5672297,"display":"57/100","year":"2024","score":57,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"rule_of_law","label":"Rule of law","value":35.1463232,"display":"35/100","year":"2024","score":35,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"corruption","label":"Control of corruption","value":27.6622228,"display":"28/100","year":"2024","score":28,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"gov_effectiveness","label":"Government effectiveness","value":39.4715143,"display":"39/100","year":"2024","score":39,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"regulatory","label":"Regulatory quality","value":35.0786424,"display":"35/100","year":"2024","score":35,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"voice","label":"Voice & accountability","value":49.1522731,"display":"49/100","year":"2024","score":49,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"numbeo_crime_index","label":"Crime index (crowdsourced)","value":73.38,"display":"73.4 / 100 · city-level","year":null,"score":27,"source":"Numbeo Crime Index"},{"key":"numbeo_safety_index","label":"Safety index (crowdsourced)","value":26.62,"display":"26.6 / 100 · city-level","year":null,"score":27,"source":"Numbeo Crime Index"},{"key":"safe_walking_dark","label":"Feel safe walking alone after dark","value":53.1,"display":"53.1%","year":"2024","score":54,"source":"UN SDG Global Database"},{"key":"violence_victimization","label":"Physical assault (past year)","value":2.9,"display":"2.9%","year":"2023","score":90,"source":"UN SDG Global Database"},{"key":"human_trafficking_victims","label":"Detected human-trafficking victims","value":4.63,"display":"4.63 / 100k","year":"2025","score":35,"source":"UN SDG Global Database"},{"key":"bribery_contact_rate","label":"Bribery during public-official contact","value":28,"display":"28.0%","year":"2016","score":44,"source":"UN SDG Global Database"},{"key":"air_quality","label":"Air quality","value":33,"display":"US AQI 33 · Good","year":null,"score":93,"source":"Open-Meteo Air Quality"},{"key":"health","label":"Travel health notices","value":2,"display":"1 notice · max Alert","year":null,"score":60,"source":"CDC Travelers' Health"},{"key":"hospitals","label":"Hospitals nearby","value":43,"display":"43 within 15 km · nearest ~0.6 km","year":null,"score":95,"source":"OpenStreetMap"},{"key":"weather","label":"Extreme weather","value":28,"display":"July: highs ~28°C · no weather extremes","year":null,"score":100,"source":"Open-Meteo"},{"key":"natural_hazards","label":"Natural hazards","value":0,"display":"No active alerts · 2 quakes ≥M4.5 past yr","year":null,"score":94,"source":"GDACS / USGS"},{"key":"advisory","label":"Government travel advisory","value":2,"display":"Level 2 — Exercise Increased Caution · 2 govts","year":null,"score":70,"source":"US State Dept · Canada"}],"healthNotices":[{"level":"Alert","title":"Chikungunya in Bolivia","url":"https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level2/chikungunya-bolivia"},{"level":"Alert","title":"Global Polio","url":"https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level2/global-polio"},{"level":"Watch","title":"Global Dengue","url":"https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level1/dengue-global"},{"level":"Watch","title":"Global Measles","url":"https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level1/measles-globe"}],"hazardAlerts":[],"fieldResearch":{"verdict":"Moderate risk — Cochabamba's historic center and better residential districts are manageable for a cautious visitor by day, but a serious national political crisis and specific violent-crime hotspots (especially after dark) mean this is not a relaxed destination right now.","summary":"The data shows weak rule of law and corruption scores alongside a high crowdsourced crime index, which matches what's happening on the ground: Bolivia is in the middle of its worst unrest in years, with Cochabamba Department (especially the Chapare region) at the center of it. Day-to-day street crime against tourists is opportunistic rather than targeted — robbery gangs, bag-snatching, and a well-documented fake-police scam — concentrated in specific known spots rather than citywide.","robberyRisk":{"level":"Moderate","note":"Violent robbery of tourists is uncommon citywide but concentrated around Coronilla Hill/bus terminal after dark and via robbers operating from cars/taxis late at night."},"pickpocketRisk":{"level":"Moderate","note":"Bag-snatching and pickpocketing occur in crowded markets, the bus terminal, and the historic center — daytime risk is manageable with normal vigilance."},"safeAreas":["Queru Queru","Recoleta","Tiquipaya","Las Cuadras"],"avoidAreas":["Coronilla Hill and the area behind the main bus terminal — gangs of glue-sniffers (cleferos) rob people, especially after dark","Cala Cala — flagged as a high crime concentration district","Chapare region incl. Villa Tunari and highway routes 4/24 — active coca-grower/government standoff, drug-trafficking activity, and blockades; FCDO advises against all but essential travel"],"scams":["Fake plainclothes 'police officer' scam — an accomplice sets you up, a fake officer demands to check your passport/cash for counterfeits, then disappears with it; real Bolivian police don't do street ID checks in plain clothes","Fake or unmarked taxis, including drivers who are in on street robberies late at night"],"zones":[{"name":"Queru Queru","level":"safe","note":"Affluent, quiet residential area near the historic center; popular with expats and considered one of the safer bases."},{"name":"Recoleta","level":"safe","note":"Quiet residential neighborhood of large homes and upscale apartments."},{"name":"Tiquipaya","level":"safe","note":"Tranquil outskirts area, low crime but further from central attractions."},{"name":"Historic Center (Plaza 14 de Septiembre)","level":"caution","note":"Fine and lively by day; pickpocketing and the fake-police scam are more common here, and it quiets down (less safe) at night."},{"name":"Cala Cala","level":"caution","note":"Flagged locally as a higher-crime-concentration district; exercise extra vigilance."},{"name":"La Pampa Market / Bus Terminal area","level":"avoid","note":"Crowded market and terminal zone with frequent pickpocketing and scam activity; avoid lingering, especially after dark."},{"name":"Coronilla Hill","level":"avoid","note":"Known haven for robbery gangs (cleferos) especially at night; use the cable car rather than the stairs, and only visit in daylight."},{"name":"Chapare (Villa Tunari & routes 4/24)","level":"avoid","note":"Active coca-grower/government standoff, drug-trafficking presence, and blockades; foreign governments advise against non-essential travel here."}]}}