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I've been hearing that, depending on country, American expats who move to Latin America do best in places where other expats live and often in gated communities or semi-fortified dwellings. Home invasions and possibly in-home beatings, murders, or just being tied up have been happening in Mexico (areas outside of San Miguel de Allende and in/near Lake Chapala), Costa Rica, and Panama. I imagine it is the same in Ecuador and Colombia, other "hot spots" for American expats. Foreigners who are most at risk are those who locals judge to have money and who venture out on their own into their country of adoption away from security measures put in place where other foreigners congregate.
If you are American (look and sound different, basically a foreigner) and locals perceive that you are wealthy, are there any places in Latin America where one could live on a small rancho among the locals with minimum security without fear of being robbed or killed?
Last edited by Schwartzmann; 02-02-2019 at 01:29 PM..
But I´d say that Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panamá, Chile and Uruguay are very safe and stable countries for the most part. They all have undesirable areas particularly in their capital cities, but if you get out to typical pueblos I´m sure you´d be fine. So to answer your question, sure, it´s quite possible. Conditions change, but often there´s no problem at all. Look up Cuenca, Ecuador or Boquete, Panamá just as an example.
I´d say that in just about ANY country in Latin America, what you´re looking for can be achieved. I´ve met retirees in supposedly super dangerous places like Honduras and Guatemala, and they couldn´t be any happier of feel any safer there. I guess there are some places where being a gringo elevates the risk of something happening, but often horrendous things like targeted kidnappings and all that happen only to rich citizens of those countries...the attackers have to do their homework and know for sure who these people are and that the risk of doing this is even worth it.
La Antigua Guatemala and Lake Atitlan are pretty safe. Lots of expats there.
Around 1990, there were occasional incidents involving visiting language students around that area, and foreigners were warned not go go outside Antigua or other town limits.
I would consider to be relatively safe anywhere south of Brazil and Ecuador, including most of Peru, but maybe not Lima or the Amazonian frontier. Bolivia is a civilly safe country but now seems to be in political turmoil..
I've heard that Nicaragua may be the safest in CA. I'd watch my back in Costa Rica.
Ignore murder rates, murderers kill their acquaintances and associates, not strangers. Just avoid murderers, which is not that hard to do. Nothing good happens after midnight, in any country.
Is it possible the poorest most indigenous areas simply don't report as many, or not as many are investigated? I'm not suggesting thats the case, just wondering
Is it possible the poorest most indigenous areas simply don't report as many, or not as many are investigated? I'm not suggesting thats the case, just wondering
Perhaps, but lot of the people in these areas are more vigilant from what I've noticed. The people will punish criminals.
Is it possible the poorest most indigenous areas simply don't report as many, or not as many are investigated? I'm not suggesting thats the case, just wondering
Indigenous communities in Guatemala are simply much safer than Mestizo areas of Guatemala. That is well known. Yaxkans map shows this. The departamentos that are majority Indigenous are in the green, Mestizo areas in orange/red, the Southern and Eastern Departamentos.
I think in part it has to do with culture. I have family that are from an area that is known for cattle ranching in South Eastern Guatemala. This area is like the wild west. It is common to see dudes walking around with guns on their belts. It is an aggressive place. Every man for himself. You don't really have this cowboy mentality/culture in Indigenous areas.
Last edited by UrbanLuis; 02-03-2019 at 12:49 PM..
I've been hearing that, depending on country, American expats who move to Latin America do best in places where other expats live and often in gated communities or semi-fortified dwellings. Home invasions and possibly in-home beatings, murders, or just being tied up have been happening in Mexico (areas outside of San Miguel de Allende and in/near Lake Chapala), Costa Rica, and Panama. I imagine it is the same in Ecuador and Colombia, other "hot spots" for American expats. Foreigners who are most at risk are those who locals judge to have money and who venture out on their own into their country of adoption away from security measures put in place where other foreigners congregate.
If you are American (look and sound different, basically a foreigner) and locals perceive that you are wealthy, are there any places in Latin America where one could live on a small rancho among the locals with minimum security without fear of being robbed or killed?
I think you could live in a ranch in any most German descent cities in the souther Brazil countryside because you will blend easily with the locals, (by look) many agrobusiness wealthy people, (you won’t be the wealthest) and these areas in inner Brazil are pretty safe.
Jaraguá do Sul is one of the safest cities in Latin America.
However, I don't think you should worry profusely about being tied up in your own home. Worrying about that is like me worrying about being pushed onto the New York Subway. Sure it could happen but the sense of sensationalism or fear typical of US-American society doesn't really correlate fairly with reality.
On a side note, going down to Latin America to live in semi-fortified artificial communities sounds like a really sad way to enjoy your retirement years.
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