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[QUOTE=DWorldTravel69;2818195]Hi,
So the us State department just issued a travel alert to.
Colombia citing increased crime, etc.
If you are on the ground or have been there for whole, can you share your experience?
Is the crime and riots really getting serious that one should reconsider traveling there?
I'd appreciate any intel.
Cheers.[/QUOTE]The US has had a travel alert for Colombia for at least 9 years for the same reason.
I wouldn't let it stop me. I'll be back in Bogota again this Sunday night I Have a serious girlfriend for the last 4 years and I have a handful of numbers of all stars I have seen for years if I need a diversion while she's at class, so I'm good. I wouldn't worry so much inside Casas, and massage places. Being in the street and the transmilenio can be a problem, don't take any buses, especially the Blue ones. Be extremely vigilante in places like SF and Candeleria. And as stated many many times on here, don't leave your drink, don't trust the girls, just use your common sense. Be safe and have fun.
[QUOTE=DWorldTravel69;2818195]Hi,
So the us State department just issued a travel alert to.
Colombia citing increased crime, etc.
If you are on the ground or have been there for whole, can you share your experience?
Is the crime and riots really getting serious that one should reconsider traveling there?
I'd appreciate any intel.
Cheers.[/QUOTE]
I've been a lurker on this thread these last few weeks, not having set foot in Colombia for over 20 years.
From what I read, Medellin or Bogota are less safe than, say, Sao Paulo. I see reports of ATMs not giving the money, Uber scams, SWs pulling knives on mongers, girls drugging mongers.
Makes me think twice about wanting to settle in Colombia now in spite of the fond memories I have of Cali in the days of the Cali cartel.
[QUOTE=XXL;2818549]I've been a lurker on this thread these last few weeks, not having set foot in Colombia for over 20 years.
From what I read, Medellin or Bogota are less safe than, say, Sao Paulo. I see reports of ATMs not giving the money, Uber scams, SWs pulling knives on mongers, girls drugging mongers.
Makes me think twice about wanting to settle in Colombia now in spite of the fond memories I have of Cali in the days of the Cali cartel.[/QUOTE]Today Meddy is much safer than Bogota, and Cartagena is the safest of all major touristy cities. Cali is like Swiss cheese, too many areas are a no go. Won't advise on settling in Colombia.
Interesting data on how much police makes:
Oficiales:
General: $22.340. 377,18.
Mayor general: $16.734. 426,78.
Brigadier general: $14.980. 927,46.
Coronel: $11.571. 990,09.
Teniente coronel: $4. 232.131,70.
Mayor: $3. 292.776,00.
Capitáand: $2. 709.810,00.
Teniente: $2. 367.072,00.
Subteniente: $2. 092.780,00.
Suboficiales:
Sargento mayor: $2. 354.907,00.
Sargento primero: $2. 331.920,75.
Sargento viceprimero: $1. 831.383,00.
Sargento segundo: $1. 673.430,00.
Cabo primero: $1. 547.877,00.
Cabo segundo: $1. 500.506,00.
Nivel Ejecutivo:
Comisario: $3. 817.320,00.
Subcomisario: $3. 241.253,00.
Intendente jefe: $3. 085.730,00.
Intendente: $2. 929.129,00.
Subintendente: $2. 301.330,00.
Patrullero: $1. 835.072,00.
Investigador: $1. 835.072,00.
Carabinero: $1. 835.072,00.
[QUOTE=XXL;2818549]From what I read, Medellin or Bogota are less safe than, say, Sao Paulo. I see reports of ATMs not giving the money, Uber scams, SWs pulling knives on mongers, girls drugging mongers[/QUOTE]I have been visiting Colombia multiple times each year since 2010. The last two years, I've been there close to 180 days each year. I've used the ATM's hundreds of times. Only one time did I not receive money from the ATM when money was taken from my bank account. That was obviously a malfunction in the ATM because the money was put back into my account shortly after with no action on my part. I have used the ATM's of various banks, but lately almost exclusively Davivienda. I haven't had any problem with Uber or DiDi. A few times I've had problems with regular taxis I've hailed on the streets, mostly near Parque Lleras. The knives and drugging problems happen in almost all major cities around the world. Maybe I've been lucky, but in more than 50 trips, I haven't encountered either problem.
If I was ready to re-locate to another country, it would be Colombia.
There will most likely be a confusion with you using a handle almost the same as mine.
Of which I have been using for around 20 years.
Please change your handle!
WT69.
[QUOTE=DWorldTravel69;2818195]Hi,
So the us State department just issued a travel alert to.
Colombia citing increased crime, etc.
If you are on the ground or have been there for whole, can you share your experience?
Is the crime and riots really getting serious that one should reconsider traveling there?
I'd appreciate any intel.
Cheers.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=WorldTravel69;2818721]There will most likely be a confusion with you using a handle almost the same as mine.
Of which I have been using for around 20 years.
Please change your handle!
WT69.[/QUOTE]Someone actually copied your name. Until your post I had assumed that was actually you WT69!
Looks like you gave some fanboys!
[QUOTE=XXL;2818549]I've been a lurker on this thread these last few weeks, not having set foot in Colombia for over 20 years.
From what I read, Medellin or Bogota are less safe than, say, Sao Paulo. I see reports of ATMs not giving the money, Uber scams, SWs pulling knives on mongers, girls drugging mongers.
Makes me think twice about wanting to settle in Colombia now in spite of the fond memories I have of Cali in the days of the Cali cartel.[/QUOTE]Latin America in general is quite dangerous. And Brasil and Colombia aren't the first places a safety-focused traveler would visit. Taking common sense precautions (discussed on here ad nauseum) minimizes the risk, but it's still there.
[QUOTE=FunLuvr;2818713]...If I was ready to re-locate to another country, it would be Colombia.[/QUOTE]The same here. I have taken 30+ trips over the past 10 years with no major incident. However,
If I were to decide to set up shop outside the US, Thailand would be my #1 destination.
[QUOTE=XXL;2818549]I've been a lurker on this thread these last few weeks, not having set foot in Colombia for over 20 years.
From what I read, Medellin or Bogota are less safe than, say, Sao Paulo. I see reports of ATMs not giving the money, Uber scams, SWs pulling knives on mongers, girls drugging mongers.
Makes me think twice about wanting to settle in Colombia now in spite of the fond memories I have of Cali in the days of the Cali cartel.[/QUOTE]I think medellin is less safe now. But Bogota I think is still ok.
I have seen multiple YT vids and read a few article that medellin aren't so welcoming to gringo tourists anymore.
Personally I have noticed it as well.
I never in 6 years had an officer at migraciķand question me so much with a mean look. Usually they're all smiles and stamp and I pass. Even though I was with my Colombian GF. But she had to use the other line since she has that speed pass where the glass door just opens when she scans her passport.
[QUOTE=Questner;2818556]Today Meddy is much safer than Bogota, and Cartagena is the safest of all major touristy cities. Cali is like Swiss cheese, too many areas are a no go. Won't advise on settling in Colombia.[/QUOTE]I'm assuming you got this from some official source. But I would have guessed the opposite. Cartagena being the most dangerous, Medellin next, and Bogota the safest. At least on a per capita basis. Of course on a total numbers basis Bogota will always be the worst as it is by far the biggest.
And crime stats versus crimes against tourists are very different things I think. Medellin has had, what seems to be, a crime spree against tourists with around 30 foreign visitors murdered in a year, and I don't hear that about Bogota or Cartagena. But maybe it is not getting the same publicity. Who knows.
And the scopolamine druggings are probably similar in all 3, but Medellin seems to get the most publicity about it. And again, we hear about deaths of foreigners from drugging, but not much about total cases in the country, which is a whole different level. I recall numbers in the 10's of thousands for scopolamine overdoses, but not many result in death.
Anyway, with all of these differences in numbers and not having much of a relative scale to measure against, it is hard to know how dangerous various cities are, or the country for that matter.
[QUOTE=Lefeu;2818845] However, If I were to decide to set up shop outside the US, Thailand would be my #1 destination.[/QUOTE]Agreed, although I love the weather in Bogota, and the pussy is cheaper and more attractive to me in Colombia.
Hi, yes I see how it could be a problem.
But how do I change it? I don't see a way to do that in the profile.
Do I need to create another account?
[QUOTE=WorldTravel69;2818721]There will most likely be a confusion with you using a handle almost the same as mine.
Of which I have been using for around 20 years.
Please change your handle!
WT69.[/QUOTE]
Above on the line at the top.
Or PM Admin.
[QUOTE=DWorldTravel69;2819016]Hi, yes I see how it could be a problem.
But how do I change it? I don't see a way to do that in the profile.
Do I need to create another account?[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Sangnyc21;2818885]I think medellin is less safe now. But Bogota I think is still ok.
I have seen multiple YT vids and read a few article that medellin aren't so welcoming to gringo tourists anymore.
Personally I have noticed it as well.
I never in 6 years had an officer at migraciand question me so much with a mean look. Usually they're all smiles and stamp and I pass. Even though I was with my Colombian GF. But she had to use the other line since she has that speed pass where the glass door just opens when she scans her passport.[/QUOTE]Medellin post pandemic is a completely different place.
Girls are extremely seasoned, being a gringo get's an eyeroll most of the time. Casas especially, even though still good service.
Medellin is the new hotspot for digital nomads, passport bros, retirees, and bachelor parties. Just type "medellin gringo" into the tiktok or twitter search bar, it is absolutely mainstream now.
For those new mongers headed there, they will absolutely be taken for a spin with the gringo tax. Poblado is pretty much an overpriced disney land with sharks (prepagos, taxistas, restaurants) looking to take advantage of the newbie. Laureles, envigado, sabaneta, are no longer local havens free from gringos.
I will say, objectively, that MDE is likely head and shoulders above whatever sex prison the monger is coming from in the us of a. But for the seasoned LATAM monger, it is no longer worth it.
For this reason, I am staying in Various second tier colombian cities ATM, using my full 180 calendar days.
Honestly, don't even want to write reports for these places like I have for MDE, as who knows how many prospective newbie monger eyes see this forum (likely lots).
Kind of a the*ck move, but it is what it is!
Side note: spending over 1000+ days in Colombia, as a centro rat, I have never even had an inkling of trouble RE violence. Anywhere. I am italian, so don't stand out. YMMV as always.