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Fifteen years ago, the country was considered by many a failed state. It was awash in the world’s worst violence, mired in the continent’s oldest guerrilla war that had cost nearly a quarter-million Colombian lives, with weak institutions that reached only parts of the country and were prone to the control and corruption of drug cartels or right-wing paramilitary groups. When it became clear that the presidential election of 1994 was riddled with drug money, Colombia was written off by much of the world as a dysfunctional narco-state.
But now as the country moves tantalizingly close to putting an end to its long war – the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, agreed last fall to reach a final peace accord by March 23 – Colombia is a very different place.
They should be honest. Crime is down yes, but what has really changed is the perception of Colombia from those outside of Colombia. For the average citizens things were never as bad as they seemed back then and they aren't as good as some outsiders seem to want to believe.
They should be honest. Crime is down yes, but what has really changed is the perception of Colombia from those outside of Colombia. For the average citizens things were never as bad as they seemed back then and they aren't as good as some outsiders seem to want to believe.
Well, sure some of these stories paint an overly rosy picture...what do you expect from "journalists" these days.
That said, the decline in homicides is striking and dramatic. Medellin once had the highest homicide rate in the world. Living among such violence is draining even if you aren't directly involved in it. That is a real improvement...not fabricated or imagined.
They should be honest. Crime is down yes, but what has really changed is the perception of Colombia from those outside of Colombia. For the average citizens things were never as bad as they seemed back then and they aren't as good as some outsiders seem to want to believe.
I was gonna say this. I lived my childhood during the 90s and I only have happy memories, I don't remember the country or my city as a non-liveable place. I played all day outside with friends and never felt in danger. Now that I'm an adult, I see the real problems of the country.
Well, sure some of these stories paint an overly rosy picture...what do you expect from "journalists" these days.
That said, the decline in homicides is striking and dramatic. Medellin once had the highest homicide rate in the world. Living among such violence is draining even if you aren't directly involved in it. That is a real improvement...not fabricated or imagined.
People I know who live there say its been 15 years of about the same crime and same economic situation, yet if you read the nonsense its like it only became a place you could visit a few years ago. People should visit now and should have gone 10 years ago, but the nonsense of starting every story off talking about how terrible it was 20 years ago has to stop.
People I know who live there say its been 15 years of about the same crime and same economic situation,,,
I wouldn't give too much credit to people's opinions either. Colombians still have a lot of inferiority complexes, most people have this defeatist mentality of "all politicians are corrupt" , there's a lot of conformism and aphaty. And our education system is far from being the best in the World.
Stats shows that criminality has decreased a lot, indeed. For one, in 2015, we had the lowest homicide rate in more than 3 decades. Economy has 2, 3 or 4 times the size it had 15 years ago. And, perhaps, the average real wage hasn't grown as much (because productivity hasn't grown much either), but people's income and consumption rates have increased a lot too. Unemployment rate is half of what we had in 2002.
I wouldn't give too much credit to people's opinions either. Colombians still have a lot of inferiority complexes, most people have this defeatist mentality of "all politicians are corrupt" , there's a lot of conformism and aphaty. And our education system is far from being the best in the World.
Stats shows that criminality has decreased a lot, indeed. For one, in 2015, we had the lowest homicide rate in more than 3 decades. Economy has 2, 3 or 4 times the size it had 15 years ago. And, perhaps, the average real wage hasn't grown as much (because productivity hasn't grown much either), but people's income and consumption rates have increased a lot too. Unemployment rate is half of what we had in 2002.
I agree with you
Colombians have this defeated life here is horrendous mindset. They all would like to leave and when you tell them that elsewhere it's just as difficult to get jobs, find a stable life etc. They have a hard time believing it.
I visited Bolivia which is the most impoverished nation in South America and even I met Colombians who told me they would like to go there because in Bolivia there is a lot of money to be made. (ironic because Colombia has a better standard of living and more economic opportunities)
They think that by leaving their lives will improve, which is actually the opposite most of the time. As a result you have professionals who in Colombia had a steady job and a middle class lifestyle driving cabs in Miami, working at small kitchen restaurants in Toronto making minimum wage or in Spain unemployed struggling to make end's meet while in Colombia they had a decent way of living. (Why did they leave their country and made such stupid decision? Their answer is often "In Colombia people think elsewhere is really easy to thrive while in Colombia is not")
Colombians have this defeated life here is horrendous mindset. They all would like to leave and when you tell them that elsewhere it's just as difficult to get jobs, find a stable life etc. They have a hard time believing it.
I visited Bolivia which is the most impoverished nation in South America and even I met Colombians who told me they would like to go there because in Bolivia there is a lot of money to be made. (ironic because Colombia has a better standard of living and more economic opportunities)
They think that by leaving their lives will improve, which is actually the opposite most of the time. As a result you have professionals who in Colombia had a steady job and a middle class lifestyle driving cabs in Miami, working at small kitchen restaurants in Toronto making minimum wage or in Spain unemployed struggling to make end's meet while in Colombia they had a decent way of living. (Why did they leave their country and made such stupid decision? Their answer is often "In Colombia people think elsewhere is really easy to thrive while in Colombia is not")
I live in Toronto and come from an immigrant family. I think this is a very common misunderstanding that life is going to be better if I get out of my country. I don't think it is unique to Colombian. I think people that were middle class and have professional jobs Get the biggest shock when they come here and realize yes I was able to immigrate, but cannot maintain my previous standard of living as I cannot get a job in my area of speciality that easily because everyone wants Canadian experience or I need to go back to school to meet the local criteria to practice/ work in my previous profession. Then many end up worker jobs they are over qualified for just to get buy or spends several years retraining to get back in to their area of training. If someone is coming here to be in a more safe place, good choice, but you need to be check you ego at the door because you will likely have to struggle for several years if not more to get back the same standard of living you were use to.
OTOH, I'm glad Colombias future is getting brighter, is about time. With or without this article, still in bucket list.
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Common misunderstanding ...
