Crime Rate in Ecuador

True and not a place for families.

This government warning rather describes that the most common crimes against foreigners in Ecuador, are crimes of property - not violence.

I too saw all of those warnings before we visited Ecuador including a couple of pretty harrowing first person eyewitness accounts on the Thorn Tree forums.

Everywhere travelers need to be canny because they are always carrying passports, cards, and cash. We used several various concealed pouches in Ecuador (turned out to be totally unnecessary for us). We rode city buses in the highlands and on the coast, and distance buses. We got lost on the buses, got stranded in wrong places, bad neighborhoods, and unknown towns. We got lost  everywhere we went. We don't speak Spanish for schitz.

We never met a single problem nor did we witness any kind of crime.

Quite a few of the Ecuadorans we spoke to voiced concerns of theft crimes and the dangers of the streets. It seems to be a popular outlook.

Although I'm in no position to be knowledgeable of the insideouts of Ecuadoran culture, it certainly reminded me of a parallel to the 'terrorist' fearmongering so popular these days in the western media. The most fearful thing is the fear itself.

If you carry yourself carefully and observantly, keep a low profile, mind your own business, and keep your cash out of sight, there is no reason to believe that crime will run rampant over you in Ecuador.

I would suggest the the US is more dangerous, where any cracked out thug could have a semi-automatic weapon shoved down his baggies.

P.S. My downstairs neighbor here in My American City, and in a quiet leafy neighborhood - has had her car stolen THREE times in the last three years. It's becoming an annual event.

Thankyou for the insight .

gardener1 wrote:

If you carry yourself carefully and observantly, keep a low profile, mind your own business, and keep your cash out of sight, there is no reason to believe that crime will run rampant over you in Ecuador.

Good advice for anywhere, and the way I conduct myself in the Philippines, Mexico, Ecuador ... and certain areas of Chicago.

I never felt any danger in Quito, and my only negative experience was the loss (presumably to a pickpocket) of a digital camera that had cost me about $75. I looked upon it as a cheap lesson.

Maybe the stuff that the State Dept puts out is mostly anecdotal

an·ec·do·tal = not necessarily true or reliable, because based on personal accounts rather than facts or research.

I would take the situation more seriously than this. As much as I love Ecuador and Quito specifically, crime is very different from that encountered by the average suburbanite in the USA. The State Department has accurately recorded and described the homicide of a close friend. His crime was unsolved as the article states many crimes are and, his friends and family believe, committed by someone he knew though it is being described as a homicide during a residential burglary. His death (to me and his family) is not anecdotal and the state department does list his death as a homicide on the U.S. Citizen Deaths Overseas index. This is a searchable database that will reveal the real killer when we travel abroad, vehicle accidents. During my friend's stay (about 10 years) he and his friends were the victims of numerous petty property crimes as well as two muggings. He loved it there and had no intention of leaving anytime soon, especially the way he did. And as gruesome as his tale is, Quito remains a viable location for me to take a shot at a long term expat adventure. You can greatly minimize your risks, my friend was too much of a risk taker. Stay informed and stay safe.

I have lived in and travelled to virtually every Latin American country.  Ecuador is one of the safest places.  Please don't worry and take the article with a grain of salt.  However, if a city like Quito or Guayaquil appeals to you and your family, then crime will always be an issue, like every big city in the world.

The Largisimo wrote:

an·ec·do·tal = not necessarily true or reliable, because based on personal accounts rather than facts or research.

I would take the situation more seriously than this. As much as I love Ecuador and Quito specifically, crime is very different from that encountered by the average suburbanite in the USA. The State Department has accurately recorded and described the homicide of a close friend. His crime was unsolved as the article states many crimes are and, his friends and family believe, committed by someone he knew though it is being described as a homicide during a residential burglary. His death (to me and his family) is not anecdotal and the state department does list his death as a homicide on the U.S. Citizen Deaths Overseas index. This is a searchable database that will reveal the real killer when we travel abroad, vehicle accidents. During my friend's stay (about 10 years) he and his friends were the victims of numerous petty property crimes as well as two muggings. He loved it there and had no intention of leaving anytime soon, especially the way he did. And as gruesome as his tale is, Quito remains a viable location for me to take a shot at a long term expat adventure. You can greatly minimize your risks, my friend was too much of a risk taker. Stay informed and stay safe.

My condolences to you his friends and family,

Sue

Crime happens anywhere, in Canada, the US, UK and in all South American countries. Ecuador is probably one of the safest in all South America, so don't worry. Certainly one is far safer in Ecuador than they would be here in Brazil. While actual crime rate figures may be difficult to come by the number of homicides per capita is way less than half of what we have in Brazil. Many crimes are really exaggerated by the media.

If you use common sense and take the precautions that you would take when traveling to London, New York, Amsterdam or any other city you're not going to have major problems in Ecuador. You just need to remember that no matter where you are on the globe the vast majority of crimes are crimes of opportunity that you can prevent or reduce by simply using common sense precautions to not make yourself a target of the crime in the first place.

I highly doubt that you'll find any city in Ecuador any more dangerous than most cities in the USA or Canada. I sure wish I could say the same about Brazil - it would be nice to be able to venture out of the safety of your home at night once in a while, but here in Brazil you could forget that.

Go, enjoy and take the usual precautions - you'll be just fine.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team

I lived in Ecuador for six years and never experienced theft or other crime although heard of frequent theft in the Mariscal district of Quito. One friend's house in Quito was burglarized (my house in Berkeley, California, has been burglarized twice). When traveling anywhere I try to not carry anything I would miss, whether lost or stolen. In dicey areas I carry a dummy wallet and, rather than carrying my passport, I carry photocopy of visa and main pages and do not make myself an enticing hit.

A friend witnessed a purse-snatching in the Otavalo crafts market. As the thief ran he was grabbed by a vendor and immediately received a very serious beating from that vendor and others around - immediate vigilante justice that thieves might well find discouraging.

My husband and I have lived in Cuenca for one year, and we've never had a problem.  But one next-door neighbor's house has been burglarized twice; and the other neighbor had her cell phone stolen, while standing in front of her house, by a guy on a motorcycle with a knife.   Within the past month, two of our friends were assaulted downtown.  One had his nose broken during a mugging, and another had his face slashed with a box cutter.   I also know two women who have had their purses stolen in the past few months.  I would definitely agree that theft is on the rise, at least here in Cuenca.  But you're probably fine as long as you take the same precautions that you would in NY, LA, Rome, etc.  My husband and I usually travel together, and we have 2 dogs.  I think that both of those are big deterrents to theft/burglary.
Btw, my husband is from Brooklyn and I am from Baltimore.  We moved here from NJ.  We are Spanish-speaking, and are not from rural areas.  We thought we'd be better off than most.  But we are Americans; and that makes us potential targets, just like any tourist.

The U.S. govt security info on Ecuador is total B.S.  Check other sites re: international crime statistics and you will
see what I mean.
The U.S. doesn't like President Correa and probably for that reason the "facts" that are referred to on the official website just are not factual.
I live in Cuenca and I feel safer than I did in Charlotte.

Crime statistics anywhere are extremely unreliable. Different places classify and report crimes differently, and the officials in charge of putting the numbers together have reason to make themselves look good by under-reporting.

An example: Chicago reported a drop in murders in 2013, with the mayor and police chief patting themselves on the back publicly, but the local media reported that they did it by reclassifying many murders as 'death by undetermined cause'.

I'm sure this sort of practice happens in other places, politicians and bureaucrats are pretty much the same the world over. If it happens in Ecuador, the media might be afraid to report any discrepancies.

I can't believe this article is about Ecuador, although we live in Cuenca and I noticed Cuenca was not mentioned in the article.  In fact, my husband and I were just talking that we feel safer here than in the US, in general.  We have never heard of political riots.  The article mentioned that tha four murders of Americans were by someone that they knew, which suggest it was not some random act.  I walk our small, cute dog at all times of day and night.  I never feel in danger.  I have heard that there are some areas that have more crime, which sounds like every city.  I'll just say that this article does not represent Cuenca, which is the wealthiest city in Ecuador.  Based on our experiences, we feel safe and secure in our belongings here in Cuenca.

Worse than the murder capital - Chicago.
More rapes than Miami?
More gangs than LA?
More drive-by shootings?
More car jackings?
More arson?
More like Detroit?
More home invasions?
More like the Bronx?
More pick pockets than NYC?
More stolen vehicles?
MORE VIOLENCE THAN ANY TOWN US??
Come on people ... get real. Ecuador compared to any US city is a Garden of Eden. On the other hand ... any place off the farm can be a dangerous place.

Perfectly said!

Hello wcy7234,

You put it in perfect perspective! If it were any different than you so aptly stated there certainly wouldn't be so many Americans and Canadians there in the first place. That in itself speaks volumes on just how safe Ecuador really is in comparison to many North American cities.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team

About the individuals that were murdered, was their lifestyle a factor?
In many countries, it has been indicated that there were sexual activities that went astray, jealous lovers etc.
Just a curious observation.

The name of this article is Crime rate in Ecuador" PEOPLE" not the United state it written to make you aware of what is happen here. It's in no way is comparing Cuenca Quito or any other city here to the United State, we all know that Crime in most US city is high but there three times more people in New York City along then there is in all of Ecuador, And YES crime I on the rise here in Cuenca just in the past two month along three American have been rob one had his face slash with a box cutter and another had his nose broken last one had there home invaded. And how Many American Women here have had there purses lifted from under them. And it most of our own fault as most want to Flash and show off what they can do here with there money so all Ecuadorian think that all of us are rich

this adventurous type, at 69, moved alone to Guayaquil, Ecuador last year at the end of November. I had been here visiting last year in August, and really liked it. Investigated statistics such as crime rate, etc. on Google. I rented an apartment  in December, after staying with friends for a few weeks.  This is a city of 4 million people, and yes there is crime, mostly in places, where no sane Gringa would go.  I am way outside the Inner City, in Samborondon and it is safe here.  I made a coloured photocopy of my Canadian passport, put it in plastic and carry very little money on me, if I go shopping alone. My Credit Card is in a very safe place on my body. I only take what they call, Seguro taxis, not ready for a bus yet, my Spanish is still rather limited. But I get along just fine. A lot of folks speak English, too. I live in a gated community with guards at less than half of what the same type of place would cost me in Canada, with view of a river, 2 swimming pools, whirl pools and well kept grounds. I get along with neighbours and made friends with quite a few Ecuadorians.  It has a lot to do with how you come across. Being polite never hurts anything. I want to stay and I am working on my Permanent Resident Visa for retirees  But that is a whole other bucket of worms. Wish me luck.  I hope you will come and find out for yourself, that this is do-able. Best wishes.

My husband and I have discussed this and it comes down to street smarts. Cuenca's violent crime rate is lower than any US city, but most people come here from nice suburban areas where you go every where by car and then find themselves living in a city and walking every where. If you aren't used to city life, you can make yourself a target. Walk with purpose, keep personal items close to the body or out of sight. (No tempting pocket bulges, please!) Many people here are poor and most work very hard to try to make ends meet, some steal out of desperation and others because they know no other way. We both find that friendly eye contact and a smile seems to be the best defense and have yet to have a problem. Add the saying goes: "be not afraid!"

Ur point is well taken. However, the examples you use to depict the "horrible" crime rate in Cuenca and Quito would not even have honorable mention in most countries of the world.
Do nothing different than what you would do in the States and you'll avoid trouble. If you want 100% guaranteed crime free ... I understand Virgin has a flight to Mars.

It is interesting if you pull up the OSAC reports for other countries you get much of the same information.  I would agree with the general theme here: Being self-aware as well as being aware of the culture in which you choose to live will minimize threats. If you rely on OSAC reports in order to make your decision, you will miss out on a lot.

Do you actually live in Dubai?  https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentRepor … ?cid=15084

And it most of our own fault as most want to Flash and show off what they can do here with there money so all Ecuadorian think that all of us are rich

Outside of being blatantly untrue, it blames the victim and not the perpetrator.  Street crime is mostly wrong place - wrong time and not the fault of the victim.

If you are thinking of coming to Guayaquil, a city of 4 million people, with the whole family, the only safe place I can think of is the suburb of Samborondon. It is a tad more expensive than other places, but I think it is safer. I live on the outskirts of that suburb in a gated community with guards. I still use "secure" taxis for transportation, I will not go on a city bus alone or go downtown by myself. Better safe than sorry. My Spanish is still not good enough to be bold.  I was teaching English for the first three months after I arrived here, at a private bi-lingual High School. There are quite a few of them in Samborondon and throughout, as well as private elementary schools. They seem safe, with gates, guards, and school buses. The driving is another issue here. I am sure they have rules of the road, but it seems as if nobody has ever heard of them. It is utter chaos most of the time.  I used to enjoy driving in Canada, but here I have no desire to even try it yet. I like the location where I live, but it is somewhat isolating for me. I no longer wish to go out in the evening by myself, after it gets dark around 6:30pm. Morning starts at 6:30am.  I am surprised, that I got used to this so quickly. Must be due to my slightly advanced [retired] age. I thoroughly enjoy the swimming pools on the well kept grounds, and yes, I would like to stay here. It is a place to be able to retire and live without having to pay enormous amounts for heat in the winter, and a/c in the summer. I managed well with a fan on wheels. I hope, that my account of living here helped you out a little. Good Luck and cuidado.

If you just look at homicide rates, Ecuador has a homicide rate almost three times that of the United States. Mexico has a homicide rate almost twice that of Ecuador. The homicide rate in Honduras is over four times greater than in Mexico. Central America is a very dangerous place to be. Headlines in various U.S. cities suggest a high homicide rate, yet the rate per 100,000 is about a third of Ecuador. What is most concerning is that only 1% of violent crimes are solved in Ecuador. I believe that in the United States, with so many more law enforcement officers, violent crimes are solved up to 80% of the time. It might explain the high prison population. Criminals in Ecuador have very little chance of being caught or prosecuted for their crimes. There is little deterrent to young men becoming career criminals.

My wife and I enjoy watching House Hunter International, especially when they do a show on couples moving to Central America, New Zealand, and Ecuador. The show highlights all the beautiful scenery and the great weather. They don't inform people moving to small fishing villages along the coast in Central America, that there is little, if any, police presence. If bad people chose to harm you, nobody will be coming to help you. You don't simply call 911 and three minutes later, the police arrive. We've read several accounts of Americans moving to their new paradise, only to become victims of a violent assault.

You roll the dice. And like anytime you gamble, it is good to know the odds of winning and losing. Don't pretend that just because headlines in U.S. papers mention the numerous shootings in a few poor neighborhoods in Chicago, that the overall rate of violent crimes per 100,000 is the highest in the world. If you retired in Sun Valley, Idaho or Lake Tahoe, Nevada, you would be at 1/100th of the risk of being a victim of violent crime vs. living in Quito, Guayaquil, or Cuenca. Few expats would consider retiring in a ghetto in Chicago, so it is a false comparison to bring up the worst neighborhood in that city and use it as your standard.

If you want safety and great weather, you might look towards New Zealand or Australia.

Hello the wayfaring stranger,

While what you say seems to make perfect sense when you see it on paper, real life is not exactly that way since just comparing homicide rates can be extremely deceptive. It does not take into consideration the "social demographics" of those homicides in any way.

I can tell you from personal experience of living in Brazil for 13 years now, a country that has a homicide rate several times that of Ecuador and where only 5% are ever solved, that for ordinary people they're probably not much safer in major US cities than they are in Brazil or Ecuador. Considering that the vast majority of the homicides in both these countries are either result of domestic violence or criminal elements killing each other.

Anyone who does not have involvement in crime or drugs, doesn't engage in high risk activities and takes the common sense precautions that one would take when visiting New York, London or Amsterdam wouldn't be at any greater risk São Paulo or Quito than they would in any of those cities.

Sometimes what, on it's face, looks so simple to understand (as your response here) is just overly simplistic, it fails completely to account for reality. Thousands and thousands of expats visit South and Central American countries all the time, they're not returning in coffins by the boatload to their homelands by any means. To suggest anything different is pure alarmism.

I don't think that we're going to need signs at all airport Arrivals gates stating.... "Abandon hope all yee who enter here!", not just yet anyway.

wjwoodward wrote:

While what you say seems to make perfect sense when you see it on paper, real life is not exactly that way since just comparing homicide rates can be extremely deceptive. It does not take into consideration the "social demographics" of those homicides in any way.

Thank you for being a voice of reason.

Yes, the crime statistics do not explain things like where the crimes are taking place and who the victims are. It is not uncommon to see two types of posts on these forums, relating to crime in Ecuador. Some will mention every time they read of a violent attack on tourists, making sound unsafe to go out in public. Others will quickly respond by calling all those who mention the levels of crime as alarmists. Then there will be another response, as you can see already, by someone calling you the voice of reason. These types of responses repeat, over and over.

The crime statistics do not lie. They are not made up. The U.S. State Department is not making up anything. They are trying to bring awareness to those in Ecuador. Like in the U.S., many victims of crime are other criminals. The State Department was attempting to discuss crimes that target Expats. The most important take away for all Expats might be that only 1% of violent crimes get solved in Ecuador. You are essentially on your own down there. It is up to each individual to take necessary precautions. These young predators have little chance of being caught or prosecuted. They are getting away with it 99% of the time. That statistic is very unusual. Do not ignore it.

Alarmist yes, very much so. If what you're saying was at all true, that expats were in such danger anywhere in South or Central America, there wouldn't be so many of them down here and they wouldn't be chosing to stay (in some cases for the rest of their lives).

The great thing about crime rate statistics (especially for governments that have their own agenda) is that you can make them seem to say pretty much what you want them to. You can skew them to prove exactly what you are trying to say, whether it's correct or not.

Tourists and expats get killed while abroad and this happens all over the world. As bad as it may be (and Brazil is far worse than Ecuador in this sense) I'd rather take my chances here than in many other countries. Just as I said in my other reply, if you aren't involved in crime or drugs, don't engage in a high risk lifestyle and you're just Joe Average, your chances of being the victim of any serious crime in South America is absolutely no different than it is in the USA, Canada, the UK, EU or anywhere else provided you take all the usual precautions anyone who travels would. Let's be real about this..... please!

I'm speaking from 13 years of experience of somebody living in one of the most violent countries in South America and can tell you that what I've posted here is the absolute, unvarnished truth. Have you actually ever been to a foreign (developing) country? Have you any experience in South or Central America at all? Or are you just repeating what you've heard or read?

I spent a week in Brazil with a friend. We were part of a large group of Americans. We were given guidelines to protect ourselves while in Rio. I was careful, a bit more so than my friend. He was robbed the last night we were there.
What is the benefit of telling me everything you say is the absolute truth? What if I say the same thing? No offense but you simply cannot state the following is true, because it is not; 

" if you aren't involved in crime or drugs, don't engage in a high risk lifestyle and you're just Joe Average, your chances of being the victim of any serious crime in South America is absolutely no different than it is in the USA, Canada, the UK, EU or anywhere else provided you take all the usual precautions anyone who travels would."

It's untrue for any number of reasons. In the U.S., many citizens carry weapons, both criminals and non-criminals. Americans are not targeted in the U.S. simply because they are Americans, unlike Americans traveling in South or Central America. In the U.S., criminals get caught 50 times more often than they do in Ecuador, and therefore get prosecuted and sentenced much more often. With a 1% rate of solving violent crimes, I'd say that criminals in the U.S., Canada, UK or EU would be wise to get on a plane to Ecuador and begin robbing people there.

Also, cultures are different. Remember the Pam Am flight that crashed in Lockerbie, England in 1988? The people of Lockerbie, despite losing many lives in their own community, volunteered to comb through the wreckage and retrieve personal items to return to family members of the deceased. A few days after that plane crash, another airliner crashed outside a similar size town in Columbia, not so far from Ecuador. What was the primary difference between the two cultures of people? By the time authorities arrived at the crash scene in Columbia, local villagers had stripped corpses of all valuables, including pulling out gold tooth fillings. I understand the same thing happened recently, after the Malaysian plane was downed in the Ukraine. The Russian separatist's removed watches and other valuables from the bodies of the dead and from their luggage. Some cultures have greater respect for life and the dead killed in such tragedies. Others do not. We are not all the same.

My background is law enforcement and corrections. I feel I have a great understanding of the criminal mind. Sociopaths and predatory types victimize the weak and hunt them down like hyenas hunt their prey on the Serengeti. In the same way a white couple will stand out in Harlem, Americans and Europeans stand out in Central and South America. There is no amount of preparation you can do to avoid looking the way you look. You will be targeted more often than a poor local, because the assumption is you are carrying more money and other valuables than a local. If certain places are more risky, and you are not aware of those places, it increases your exposure and risk factor. Do you carry a drop wallet? Have you taken self-defense classes? Do you travel in groups? Are you large and athletic, or an experienced fighter? Can you run fast? Again, like in the animal world, the weaker are targeted first.

The alarmist accusation is getting old. It is almost automatic on these forums to accuse anyone of being alarmist for simply posting a State Department notice, or a link to a newspaper article about a tourist being robbed. I know most people who move to Ecuador love it there. I get that they don't like hearing the negative news. It doesn't make that news untrue. Information is much more valuable than the absence of information. Do with it as you wish.

Trying very hard to bite my tongue here.  Bad things can and do happen everywhere.  American's are not targeted simply for being Americans?  LOL, really?  Americans are killed, robbed, raped, etc, by other Americans on a daily basis. 

You want to go on about how "we" wonderful Americans wouldn't rob or steal from the dead?  Again, really?

http://www.freep.com/article/20140611/N … home-thefthttp://www.kansas.com/2014/01/06/321360 … ry-of.htmlhttp://www.jrn.com/kfdi/news/Good-Samar … 97311.html

Honestly, I could go on ...  I'm sorry that your years in criminal justice system left you jaded and angry.  Perhaps you'd be better off staying in the US.

I guess I am unable to bite my tongue and give my less than expert opinion.

Having aced two very difficult statistics courses I can tell the that the results of any statistical analysis are a function of who is doing the research and why.  The results of any study can be manipulated to help the researcher prove that his theory is correct. Yes, you can lie with statistics. I would be very interested to see statistics regarding your contention that solved and prosecuted crimes are deterrents. I am sure you are aware of the correlation between incarceration and recidivism which contributes to such high crime rates in this country.

I think the State Department warnings reflect the vulnerability of people that work in their embassies and some of  the activities they engage in eg.intelligence. For that reason I believe they present the worst case scenario. Though most travellers likely do not check State Dept websites it might be a bit of CYA. With the increase of anti-American sentiment over the last decade and a half and perhaps more so since the Snowden disclosures American tourists and expats might  be at slightly higher risk. For the expat that WANTS to assimilate and presents himself as a warm, friendly individual he/she is less likely to have problems. Suspicion and fear are palpable.

Another thing you might consider is that someone with expensive running clothes might  be followed home and then find himself the victim of a burglary. I know you are concerned about "violent" crime but if you reread the State Dept warnings you will find that most of the crime in EC doesn't rise to the level of Central America, LA or Chicago. At this point gangs are not an issue .

I do not mean any offense to the gentleman from Arizona but if you go to a Third World country expecting to find more crime you probably will. Perhaps if you truly do retire you will be able to leave your law enforcement/corrections background in Arizona

Sue

Another very frightening statistic that I have come across is that there are firearms in one out of three American households. I doubt seriously that you would find that in Ecuador and the weapons that are there certainly don't come close to that degree of lethality. We are recognized the world over for our gun culture.

The amount of handguns found in American households is frightening, Sue.  Just today here in Wichita a 3 year old found a handgun in his house, and accidentally killed himself. 

http://www.kansas.com/2014/07/29/357326 … ncoln.html

In April we had a 4 year old accidentally kill his 1 year old brother--and he didn't even take the gun out of the drawer. 

It just makes me sick.

Hi the wayfaring stranger,

You absolutely proved the point I was making! You and your buddy came to Rio for World Cup, a specific event that everyone knew was going to be used to target foreigners here and governments all around the world told their citizens how to protect themselves.

Your friend didn't take precautions and was robbed on his LAST night here, bet he was all boozed up and just didn't give a tinker's damn. You took the reasonable precautions and WEREN'T ROBBED.

But your brief experience here is so much more relevant than that of someone who's been in some of the most dangerous parts of favelas in all of Brazil at times when even the police wouldn't venture in and I'm not pushing up daisies just yet!

Go lock yourself inside your house, bar the windows and bolt the doors, lock and load your 12 guage and even then you're not going to be safe enough to satisfy you. If you're here posting just to stir the pot and get people who are here in South American countries and have tons more experience with living here than you do pissed off at you, it seems to be working.

I'd suggest you stroke them all off your list of potential retirement spots, you're never going to be happy here and with your attitudes you're sure as Hell not going to have any friends here either. In South America you need to park the "Superman" attitude that some of you guys have at the door when you come in because it just doesn't work down here. Trust me, don't want to get the local people in any South American country having a hate on for you! Not wise at all. The good ol' US of A ain't perfect either my friend. If it were nobody would leave it, now would they?

Joanneinict wrote:

Honestly, I could go on ...  I'm sorry that your years in criminal justice system left you jaded and angry.  Perhaps you'd be better off staying in the US.

All I can say is AMEN!

Do yourself a great big favor, don't come to South or Central America... you simply don't fit, you won't be happy and with that big chip on your shoulder your going to end up in trouble down here. You're just a "self fullfilling prophesy" looking for a place to happen.

Joanneinict wrote:

Trying very hard to bite my tongue here.  Bad things can and do happen everywhere.  American's are not targeted simply for being Americans?  LOL, really?  Americans are killed, robbed, raped, etc, by other Americans on a daily basis. 

You want to go on about how "we" wonderful Americans wouldn't rob or steal from the dead?  Again, really?

http://www.freep.com/article/20140611/N … home-thefthttp://www.kansas.com/2014/01/06/321360 … ry-of.htmlhttp://www.jrn.com/kfdi/news/Good-Samar … 97311.html

Honestly, I could go on ...  I'm sorry that your years in criminal justice system left you jaded and angry.  Perhaps you'd be better off staying in the US.

Bad things happen everywhere. Agreed. Can we also agree that say, Syria and Somalia and Afghanistan are less safe than Finland and New Zealand and Canada? Is that really so difficult to accept? The State Department often puts out bulletins warning Americans about being targeted, for being Americans. Those were the very words used to warn my friend and I when we were in Rio. Are Americans killed, robbed and raped on a daily basis? Yes. Look at the circumstances. As suggested in earlier posts, many, if not most of violent crime victims in the U.S. are also bad characters or rivals of gang members. If you do not live in South Central L.A., or go there to buy or sell drugs, you reduce your chance of being a victim of a serious crime. Yet there are plenty of victims of crime who are not bad people who wander into bad neighborhoods. My wife and I were targeted because we own two small dogs. We were followed home by a burglar who waited for us to leave and then he found a doggie door he could use to get into out home. As is the case in most property crimes in the U.S., the man was a drug addict looking to sell our property to buy more drugs. We have since purchased an alarm system and a CCTV system to monitor both of our homes.

I do not recall saying Americans would not rob or steal from the dead. Perhaps you can read my previous post and tell me where I suggested that. If a plane crashed in an inner city neighborhood in almost any major U.S. city, I would think the locals would steal every item of value they could before the law showed up. We all watched how people behaved after Katrina hit New Orleans. I also believe that in the remaining 98% of the U.S., the local citizens would not desecrate the crash site and remove valuable possessions. Is that clear enough for you?

I am not angry at you or anyone. I am not angry. I do agree that my plans to explore retirement in Ecuador are in question based on assessment of factors like crime statistics and reported crimes against expats. I assume people picked Ecuador over Somalia because Ecuador has more to offer and because it is relatively safe in comparison. I suggest you do not respond to posts on this forum when you are angry because you say things based on emotion and not fact. it actually is possible to discuss crime in Ecuador without getting emotional and defensive. Try it.