Cocaine and Violence Mark 2021

Covid does seem to be the perfect cover for cutting down the Amazon and other netherious activites.

The connection between increased cocaine production and decreased petroleum production has disturbing implications for Colombia’s economy.

I don’t know about this or where they are getting that from. I am an American living in Colombia and not in Medellin or Bogotá either. I live out in the mountains in Rionegro Santander and I have traveled all of Colombia in a American motor home and have never had a bad experience. The Colombian people are extremely loving welcoming and so anything to help you. So as far as violence yes there is no worst then any US city has. Stop believing everything you hear and read and come experience this beautiful country and culture yourself 👍

The drug trafficking and violence in Colombia often are not visible to careful tourists or Expats who mostly stay in the cities .. and avoid traveling after dark.

The malditos such as ELN, FARC and paramilitaries were chased out of the major cities, but the police and the Colombian military could not be everywhere .. so rural areas and jungles have been targeted by the ne'er-do-wells and serve as locations for training, staging and evil deeds.

Discounting the news reports of violence and record cocaine-related activity .. would not be prudent.  Traveling intercity at night in much of Colombia is a recipe for potential disaster.

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As in any major Corbin or rural areas in most countries around the world including America. I have traveled at night in Colombia like I said I don’t live in a major city I live as rural and remains as you can be in Colombia. If you go looking for trouble you will find it for sure. Caution about your surroundings go hand in hand with any country. Many people know the word Google search crime in Colombia vs America and see it about the same. That is the reason many by pass this beautiful country is because they have the perception it is so dangerous but do not realize America has a higher crime rate then Colombia facts or facts 🤷🏻

unlockmeinc wrote:

...America has a higher crime rate then Colombia facts or facts 🤷🏻

That does not seem to be accurate according to published sources and people's experiences, both expats and natives.  There really is a reason that Colombia has the need for the phrase, no dar papaya, and the USA does not...

Of course in the bigger cities in the US you can experience crime, perhaps more so than parts of Colombia.  But probably in 98% of the places in the US, you can wear a Rolex or jewelry, talk incessantly on your expensive iPhone without being aware of your surroundings, lay down your purse or backpack next to you with nary a care, approach just about anyone with a question or asking for help, and you don't risk at all a robbery or a secuestro exprés where you get kidnapped and driven around to ATMs until the crooks get all your money from all your cards...

In Colombia if you do any of the above you are almost guaranteed to have "problems" eventually.

Per https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/C … statistics
the murder/homicide rate in Colombia was 25.34 per 100,000
The murder/homicide rate in the United States was 4.96 per 100,000

The robbery rate in Colombia was estimated at 244.4 per 100,000 in 2017:
https://knoema.com/atlas/Colombia/Robbery-rate
The robbery rate in the United States was estimated at 86.2 per 100,000 in 2018:
https://knoema.com/atlas/United-States- … bbery-rate

From the same source knoema.com the assault rate in Colombia was 346.1 per 100,000
The assault rate in the US was 246.8 per 100,000, which is almost as bad!

OsageArcher wrote:

in 98% of the places in the US, you can wear a Rolex or jewelry, talk incessantly on your expensive iPhone without being aware of your surroundings, lay down your purse or backpack next to you with nary a care, approach just about anyone with a question or asking for help, and you don't risk at all a robbery or a secuestro exprés where you get kidnapped and driven around to ATMs until the crooks get all your money from all your cards...

In Colombia if you do any of the above you are almost guaranteed to have "problems" eventually.

This is from another stellar post by Brother Archer.

I cite it because it references a rule to live by in South America...

Unless it's a travel day, carry as few cards as possible on your person.

That way, if you are accosted by a team intent on visiting your ATM's, you may only have one card taken and still have backup(s) at your lodgings.

When four guys tackled me in daylight in a bad section of Quito in 2010, they had no weapons but did have the manpower to tackle me to the ground, rifle through all my pockets and take off with my leather bag and $55 in cash.

Fortunately, I had no cards on me, only a photocopy of my passport .. and five hundred dollars in my secret compartment which they missed completely.  The bag was recovered ten minutes later .. as it contained nothing of value to the thieves.

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