Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller dives into the complexities of hiring in Latin America, the informal labor market, and the unique challenges expats face. He discusses the importance of understanding local labor laws, the risks of relying on employee recommendations, and the broader cultural and infrastructural issues that shape daily life. From street flooding to car ownership, Johnny shares his personal experiences and insights to help expats navigate their new environments.
Johnny begins by highlighting the challenges of hiring employees in Latin America, noting the lack of detail in infrastructure and the unreliability of employee recommendations. He advises expats to hire individuals who have worked for US franchises or call centers, as these employees are more reliable and conscientious. He contrasts this with the stricter labor laws in the United States, where ex-employers are legally bound to avoid bad-mouthing former employees. Johnny emphasizes the importance of understanding the different labor laws and regulations that apply to various types of employees in Latin America, such as factory workers, agricultural workers, domestic workers, and contractors.
He then moves on to discuss the informal labor market in Latin America, where a significant portion of the population works off the books, especially in small businesses. He contrasts this with factory workers, who are typically legal and unionized. Johnny shares personal experiences with domestic workers who prefer cash payments over formal employment, despite the lack of benefits. He also touches on the challenges of navigating the legal and bureaucratic systems in the region, suggesting that hiring workers as independent contractors can simplify the process.
In a lighter segment, Johnny recounts an incident where he encountered a neighbor repairing a skylight on his expensive Mercedes SUV using silicone caulk. He explains the challenges of owning a car with a skylight in the region, including the risk of leaks, exposure to extreme temperatures, and the tendency for the seals to deteriorate over time. He also touches on the broader issue of safety in Guatemala, noting that it is often on the US State Department's list of unsafe countries and that many Mexicans have fled to Guatemala due to cartel violence, a story that is more widely covered in Latin American media than in the mainstream press.
Finally, Johnny discusses the contrast between Mexico and Guatemala in terms of safety and crime. He highlights Mexico's history of providing refuge to persecuted exiles, particularly from Guatemala during the 1970s and 80s. He then contrasts this with recent events in Mexico, such as the 2006 bus massacre where 122 passengers were killed in a cartel-organized attack. Johnny criticizes Mexico's judicial system for taking nine years to convict the perpetrators and mentions the discovery of mass graves and the involvement of bus companies in covering up the disappearances. In contrast, he notes that Guatemala has not experienced such levels of violence since the end of its civil war in the 1980s.
Episode Notes
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller discusses the challenges of hiring in Latin America, the informal labor market, and the unique experiences of expats living in the region. He covers topics such as employee recommendations, labor laws, and the impact of cultural practices on daily life. From street flooding to car ownership, Johnny shares his personal insights to help expats better understand and adapt to their new environments.
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Topics
Hiring in Latin America, Employee recommendations, Labor laws, Franchise employees, Expatriate experiences, Informal labor market in Latin America, Expatriate experiences and cultural adaptation, Legal and bureaucratic challenges in Latin America, Street flooding and drainage issues, Comparison of expat concerns in the U.S. and Latin America, Traffic law enforcement and police standards, Car care and protection in Latin America
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:33 The Lack of Details in Latin America 00:01:17 Hiring Employees in Latin America 00:02:48 The Problem with Employee Recommendations 00:03:57 Labor Laws in the United States 00:05:14 Different Labor Laws for Different Employees 00:06:08 The Informal Labor Market in Latin America 00:06:58 Domestic Workers Prefer Cash Payments 00:08:20 The Honeymoon Period for Expats 00:11:27 Mr. D's Situation and Initial Concerns 00:12:07 The Drainage Problem and Its Impact 00:13:41 Contrasting Expat Concerns in the U.S. and Latin America 00:14:20 Who's Living the Good Life? 00:15:15 Traffic Law Enforcement and Police Standards 00:17:17 The Curious Case of the Covered Mercedes 00:17:25 Encounter with a Neighbor Repairing a Skylight 00:21:48 Safety in Guatemala 00:22:54 Mexico's History of Providing Refuge to Exiles 00:23:14 Guatemala's Better Job at Protecting Its People 00:23:21 Mexico's Conviction of Cartel Members 00:23:47 Mexico's Regular News of Violence 00:24:39 Mexican Court's Delay in Convicting Perpetrators 00:25:13 Zeta Cartel's Control Over Mexican Bus Companies 00:26:36 Chicago's Strict Gun Laws and Fake News 00:27:33 Conclusion and Call to Action
Transcript
Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.
[00:00] South of the border down Mexico way That's where I fell in love when the stars above came up to play and now I wonder Hello there all you ex-pad wannabes. I'm Johnny Mueller and you're listening to the expat files living in Latin America The show that tells you just what it's like to live work play and or retire down here in Latin America It's a mix of the good the bad the ugly and the great and it's all right here. So let's get started details details You know we talk about the lack of details here in Latin America all the time Lack of details is pretty much what separates the third world from the first world It's something you'll have to get used to or you'll forever be frustrated Especially when you're living down here, you'll see it everywhere you go every house every store every road every parking lot
[00:52] The exception being when you're visiting a first world franchise like Starbucks or McDonald's or Taco Bell US franchises down here will be carbon copies of those same franchises You have up in the states because you know one of the firm prerequisites for being able to buy a franchise and put it anywhere In the world is to maintain those exact standards as the franchises up in the states. That's the marketing plan That's why they work. The question is if and when you get down here Are you planning on starting a business? Do you plan on hiring Latino employees? It's hard not to hear stories from gringle businessmen about their Latino employees Would you believe most of those stories are not very complementary? That's why I always advise gringos and expats who are putting together a business here in Latin America if you're looking to hire and you want to get an employee that shows up on time comes prepared to work is
[01:42] Conscientious follows instructions, etc, etc Then by all means hire someone who's been working for a gringle franchise like McDonald's Wendy's, etc Oh and not someone who's been fired from a first-world franchise You don't want that but then again, how you gonna know if he or she was an employee in good standing or was recently fired Well that person come out and tell you probably not Here's the funny thing when a person's been fired almost 100% of the time They'll get a clean solid recommendation from their past employer Latino bosses are so nice about that kind of stuff now, you know, that does not happen up in the state Someone gets fired for stealing or just being a deadbeat employee The boss will never give him a glowing recommendation or a nice sendoff The fired employee would never ask for one in the states. You get fired. You'd expect nothing less
[02:32] You'd never ask for a recommendation your boss would laugh in your face But down here since people are nicer and kinder and don't want to rock the boat or cause controversy you get fired You'll still get a letter of recommendation people. Tell me that all the time. I've seen those fake glowing recommendations So here's a tip don't fall for it past employer recommendations. Don't mean dick Oh, and there's that other sticky problem that sometimes occurs when a boss down here has a bad employees So glad to get rid of them. He'll write a glowing even over-the-top recommendation That means recommendations that almost seem too good to be true are really suspect I mean really who wants to lose an employee like that So bottom line if you're hiring down here hire someone who's working for a US franchise or a call center
[03:18] Someone who hasn't quit the franchise or the call center yet someone who's still working there be leery of prospective interviewees Who tell you they used to work for a franchise or call center? Oh and don't think by phoning up one of those old bosses You'll get the real dirt on an old employee because Latino bosses or ex-bosses will have that nicer Kinder Latino or attitude over the phone as well now I don't know what it's like up in the States if someone happened to get fired and he's applying in another place for a job If the interviewer phones up the old boss will that old boss tell the truth or will he sort of skirt the issue? Because the labor laws are so tough up in the States now Seems bosses don't like to say bad things about ex-workers because of the labor laws I've heard stories from family and friends up in Chicago where an ex-boss
[04:06] Disced a bad former employee and got sued for it. He legit dissed the guy he had reason After all the guy got fired for stealing so these days ex employers up in the States will just avoid the issue I heard from a friend up in the States who works in the human resources department of a big company He said it's against the law if someone phones up About an ex-employee to even mention the person got fired all they can do is confirm or not confirm whether the guy actually worked there Or not well bosses and human resource departments are certainly not that strict here in Latin America Oh, they've got labor laws here. All right, they've copy everything the first world has you know But actual enforcement not quite and never to the letter of the law Though one thing they're pretty strict on is if you're gonna fire someone you better do it within the first three months
[04:56] Which is the normal probationary period in other words you better determine within the first three months if she or he is Good or crap employee because if they're fired after that period you got to pay Indemnization, you know severance pay and you have to keep money insurance for a while too now Of course, we're talking about on the books employment registered with the government paying Social Security and all that Of course down here. There are different rules for different kinds of employees They've got different roles for factory employees different labor law rules for farm or agricultural employees sometimes referred to as seasonal employees different roles for domestic employees like cleaning ladies maintenance guys and nannies different labor laws and rules for teachers and
[05:42] different rules for part-time employees like contractors who are building a house after all if you hire a Contractor and his crew to build your house when it's done. It's done. You move in and they're gone You'll probably never deal with them again. That is if it's done, right? Anyway, so down here in Latin America considering all the employment possibilities and all the different rules and regs and the fact that the government Enforces them so spotty. That's why in most Latin American countries From 20 to 40 percent of the population is working off the books unless they're working in a big factory a Makila Factory workers are always legal and on the books Most factory workers Makila workers in Latin America are unionized and there are large numbers of them So the government does enforce labor laws for the Makila's
[06:30] However, if you're not a factory worker Especially if you work in a small mom-and-pop outfit a large percentage of those workers will just say give me the cash Screw the government. I don't trust them. They're corrupt life's much easier if they're not involved I'll take my chances and work off the books pay me on time and pay me in cash I guess that's why it should be no surprise to you that every single cleaning lady I've ever had since I've been down here 30-plus years now I must have had ten different cleaning ladies in that time It turns out every single one of them preferred cash to going on the books Even though I'd say nine out of ten were mothers with kids So you'd think those ladies would at least want to get some of the minimal benefits the government offers When working on the books and paying into Social Security, for example, at least they'd qualify for an old-age pension
[07:19] But obviously from what I've seen they don't much care about that They'd much rather you pay them cash and of course include that five or ten percent extra The government would take and taxes and Social Security, etc Now, of course, it's technically illegal for you to do that to hire someone off the books I'm not advising you to do that to break any laws But I'll tell you it's certainly a lot less complicated for both you and your cleaning lady your maintenance guy or nanny Oh, and I should mention you can hire anyone as an independent contractor, too That way they're responsible for registering with the government and paying Social Security and all that In the eight years I was on radio down here in Latin America from around 2000 to 2008 I was an independent contractor and every month I'd have to give the radio station a factura or receipt
[08:08] But back to this thing about details or lack thereof Now when a Gregor expat first lands down here in Latin America and decides to stay for a while It's a kind of a honeymoon period It's normal for a while Anyway to see everything through rose-colored glasses where everything's new fresh and exciting to you Sure, you'll notice the lack of first-world details everywhere But it won't bother you or just won't sink in because you'll be overwhelmed with the freshness the newness of it all and anything That might be negative or distasteful Won't have much of an effect not in the beginning anyway Like for example, and you see a bunch of 12 year olds cutting sugar cane I've heard fresh green gringos say when they see something like that. Oh, look how cute. They've got the same clothes
[08:54] They're probably brothers or when they see a kid 50 foot up a tree cutting coconuts with no safety equipment at all So that's how they do it. Looks like he's really having fun Hmm hate to clue you in but I doubt it and even when you're sitting around the coffee shop with a bunch of wisened old expat cynics Complaining about this or that they'll always be complaining about something when you're in that gringo honeymoon period in your blissful state You won't be thinking about it much to you. It's just gringo small talk. You let it slide It doesn't sink in and that's the trick to remain Uncynical when the honeymoon periods over sure everywhere you go You're gonna see things that are slightly upsetting lots of loose ends The trick is not to let it get to you not enough so that you're loaded with negative talking points
[09:42] When you're running to other gringos and believe me, I've seen how these conversations can go You run into a gringo expat you haven't seen for a couple of weeks or even a couple of months First thing you say is what's up? How's it going? If you're Canadian, you might say hey there How's it going? Eh, or if you're a new expat from the south side of Chicago You might run into an expat and say yo n word, bro. Would it be what's up or just stop? In any case wherever you're from one of the common refrains You'll hear from a season expat is all the negative stuff that's happened to him since you last met now I'm not saying an encounter like that can't be occasionally amusing But hearing complaints can get old pretty fast as for me I prefer to get up every day look out the window take a deep breath start the morning by
[10:30] Congratulating myself for moving to Latin America because I really did win the lottery Nope, I'm not a glass half empty kind of guy Gotta take the good with the bad as long as there's a hell of a lot more good than bad You're doing fine up in the states. It's just a reverse. I don't know that firsthand I don't live there, but I can read and I can see the videos and everyone I know up there even the die-hard Patriots tell me they have little hope it's falling apart Speaking of details and lack of details again Complaints I hear from Americans living up in the states are ginormous Enormous compared to the complaints. I'm hearing from Gringo's and expats were living down here in Latin America That is with the occasional exception of Gringo's and expats living in Costa Rica, Mexico and Ecuador
[11:18] Lately being described as paradise lost Paradise lost for example just yesterday talking to an expat friend of mine He's been living down here for five years now. Haven't seen him in months. I said, what's up, mr. D Didn't say hey there bro or use the n-word He said everything's fine, but Johnny. I gotta tell you you should see what's happening in front of my house He said for the last couple of days. I've been sitting on my veranda watching the street department excavate a hole Over and over again. It's like they're spending an eternity on it and getting nowhere. They've got a dump truck full of asphalt Five guys in one shovel a couple of guys in orange vests sweeping up and some old ladies have moved in selling tortillas and refreshments
[12:05] He said Johnny it's turned into quite a show They've been digging out a corner where they've got a drainage ditch that just can't handle the water every time it rains It floods It's about a foot high and the two-lane highway turns into one lane because no one could go down the right lane It's been pitched wrong. So the water just collects there like a small lake There's a metal grate drain there, but it doesn't handle the flow It takes about three or four hours for the water to subside so that you can use the right side of the road again So after every storm there's a big bottleneck It's been like that he says at least a year and a half as long as he's lived in the house across the street He says Johnny. I've been sitting there every morning for the past three four days watching these guys dig it out They pulled out a ton of plastic and garbage filled up a dump truck put in a new iron grate
[12:54] Laid down a patch of asphalt and finally finally after three days, they got a ton It looked nice, too So this morning I woke up went on the veranda had my breakfast a storm rolled in rain like hell for about 45 minutes Guess what nice big bottleneck again because the right lanes completely flat it out stayed that way for a couple hours No change just like before details detail. I Dogs getting old though can't see too. Well anymore. That's about it Johnny. What's new with you? We haven't seen each other for probably six months now Anyway, let's think about this for a while. Mr. D Who I haven't seen for a half a year has been catching me up with the news
[13:41] He tells me the two big pieces of news in his life are one the street flooding problem and two his dogs getting old and blind So tell me what do you think do those two events seem like tragedies to you? Maybe the dog, but that's life. Meanwhile when I phoned my friends and family up in the states or they phoned me Never fails. They have some serious complaints the illegals the crime the homeless killer taxes layoffs massive inflation serious stuff as Opposed to the local news here in Latin America. I run into an expat I haven't seen in six months and the only thing he complains about is his dogs poor health and the road drainage Problem in front of his house. Let's see now who's living the good life and who ain't Hmm. So how's your plan be coming since we're on the subject of details or lack thereof
[14:32] Maybe you could explain this one to me I don't get it when I say things like only in Latin America But of course, they're coming to a town near you probably there already since Latinos bring their bad habits with them You know the same poll folks have poe habits Anyway, I occasionally stay in an apartment in the big city and the department has a gated guarded parking lot I have a designated spot and the guy parked next to me when he's there has an absolute piece of trash It's an old black rav4 with at least a hundred dings and bangs in it and a broken window That hasn't been fixed ever Unlike up in the states if you're caught driving around with a broken windshield or broken side window the cops will stop You give you a ticket make you a repair it within three days or a big fine. Correct here in Latin America
[15:21] Not so people aren't even embarrassed have no shame driving around with busted windshields I'm not talking about just a crack in a window or a windshield I'm talking about full spider web radiated breakage If you drive down here, you'll see that kind of stuff every single day of the week I even in cop patrol cars, which is probably why they don't stop you and give you a ticket though As mentioned those kind of traffic offenses are on the books They've got the same transit laws as they have up in the states But I kind of think most people most cops that is never bother to learn their own laws Though I remember quite a while ago now reading in a Guatemalan newspaper the big one Prince Elibre The minimum requirements for being a cop applicants had to be at least five foot two Hmm have had no penalis antecedentes meaning have not on their record any convictions for previous crimes
[16:14] And here's the important one. They had to be able to read at at least a fourth grade level Hmm, that's good news, huh? Meanwhile back in the parking lot. Remember I have a spot reserved there and next to me a real wreck a bona fide piece of shit Yet in the parking spot next to me on the other side There is a big old SUV with a protective cover over it months have gone by and I've never seen What that car actually looks like except I know it's white and it's a Mercedes. It's got the Mercedes logo on the wheel rims Now the strange thing is here in Latin America almost no one uses a car cover Even though the Sun beats the hell out of paint jobs and upholstery does a number on those clear plastic Headlight covers too if your car happens to sit out in the Sun all day a car cover is a very good thing to buy
[17:03] They're very cheap too for the protection. They afford maybe 30 or 40 bucks So anyway, I'm kind of curious as to what the car looks like months go by It's still got the car cover on it. What's even more curious is it's a covered car park That means the Sun never hits any car. So even if you're finicky, there's no need to buy a car cover yet This guy did one day I was pulling in and I saw the car with the cover off was a white maybe two-year-old Very expensive Mercedes SUV I pulled into my spot and suddenly the owner got out of the car and in his hand was one of those big Silicone caulking guns he had a little step letter and he climbed up over the edge of the car was looking down at the skylight Running his finger around the edge of it Then he wiped the edge of the skylight down with a rag
[17:50] Then he asked me to come on over and put my hand on the skylight put pressure on it By the way down here in Latin America, if you don't know your neighbors by name, that's okay When you're face-to-face with them, there's no need to feel embarrassed about that. You just say hi neighbor and everything's cool Just say all of us, you know or have a scene of its girl I happen to be one of those people who has always had problems remembering names I know what it feels like to run into someone in the grocery store who knows your name, but you don't know theirs Isn't that the way life goes? It's always a bit uncomfortable Even worse is when you stop and talk and you have someone else with you and that person needs to be introduced But here in Latin America, not a problem You could just say oh la vesino and then you can introduce him as your neighbor in that respect. No awkward moments
[18:37] So anyway, I put pressure on the guy's skylight and he put a big glop of silicone caulk on the corner of that thing explaining to me how much trouble he's been having with that skylight every time it rains an Annoying drip and watching what he did to that beautiful Mercedes I thought was a sacrilege a big ugly glop of silicone caulk That month over month is just gonna look worse and worse You know how that stuff looks after the Sun gets to it turns all cloudy and mangy I could have said man, this is what a 60 $70,000 car Smearing it with a glop of silicone caulk. What's wrong with you? But I didn't know the guy just met him so I bit my tongue again details detail I know it's a typical Latin American thing
[19:24] They buy a nice expensive cars to show off and impress their friends go into debt stretch their Finances to the limit and in the end off and don't have gas money Some of my friends were like that in college and high school, but man you grow out of it But not down here, then there's that bad Latino habit of letting brand new things deteriorate Latinos will buy a new or light new cars within six months to a year They're always dented and scratched but rarely do they get the body worked on Anyway, though I did offer the guy a suggestion I said you could go on Amazon or on the internet and buy a rubber grommet an Original part and then you take it to the dealer and have him install it He looked at me shook his head and said, you know, every time I drive it to the dealer. It cost me 300 bucks Anyway, I noticed from the dealers sticker on the bumper. It said Highland Park Mercedes
[20:12] That was a telltale sign The car was likely bought at an auction up in the states as a wreck hauled or driven down to Latin America repaired Completely and this guy bought it for probably three quarters or half of blue book price And now he's learned a lesson almost every gringo expat needs to know if you're living in Latin America Try not to buy a car that has a skylight. It's a big mistake three reasons number one You're almost always running air conditioning. So you never want to open it number two Even if it's closed and sealed you don't want to expose the glass because the Sun's so damn hot when it's beating down on Your shoulders arms or head you're gonna be uncomfortable number three There's such downpours in the rainy season that even the tiniest little imperfection in the rubber seals is gonna allow the thing to leak Oh and just leaving your car out in the Sun in a parking lot over and over day after day
[21:01] That'll accelerate the process now You might get lucky with your skylight and none of that bad stuff happens But this is Latin America where water problems abound. So why take a chance? I know I know a lot of nice expensive cars come equipped with skylight My advice on how to preserve that watertight seal Just leave it be never mess with it leave well enough alone Don't open or close it because every time you do you're shifting things around ever so slightly Just think about the extreme temperature. The soles skylights go through at night It might be 50 degrees in the day in the direct Sun 150 eventually after five years or so those seals dry out and crack That's why I'm mentioning it I've heard way too many complaints from sunroof owners when they start to leak man, you're in for trouble
[21:48] Alright moving on. You know, there's a question I keep getting asked over and over again is Guatemala safe That is the question after all like practically every country in Latin America. I think except Costa Rica Guatemala is perpetually on the US State Department's shit list Actually, I'm more inclined to think that if Guatemala had a State Department the US would be on its shit list Every other country's shit list, too But really is Guatemala safe Well, the dirty little secret is that thousands and thousands of Mexicans have been escaping to guess where? Guatemala, it's the untold story of the millennium. Why do you think they're escaping? Cartels dummy the are you hearing that story from the lamestream press? Nope, probably not
[22:36] Well surprise surprise the Spanish-speaking press down here in Latin America is certainly covering it The fact is in recent years the flight of thousands of Mexicans to Guatemala has been an embarrassment for the Mexican government Which is why Mexican government officials don't want to talk about it. They don't want to acknowledge it especially since Mexico had a long history of providing refuge to Persecuted exiles from other Latin American countries including tens of thousands of Guatemalans who sought sanctuary there in the 1970s and 80s during that country's Civil War According to us and Mexican organized crime experts The incredible message here is that Guatemala is doing a much better job protecting its own people than Mexico is
[23:21] Meanwhile, there's always a meanwhile. Did you read recently that Mexico just convicted? 11 cartel members gunman in the killing of a hundred and twenty-two bus passengers that happened nearly ten years ago at the US border really a hundred and twenty-two passengers killed That kind of stuff never happens in Guatemala Since Guatemalan silver war ended in the 80s There's never been anything near that kind of violence, but that kind of news comes out of Mexico on a regular basis Oh, yeah, and by the way, if you listen to the court testimony, which was in Spanish those 122 passengers were pulled off buses Forced to fight each other to the death with sledgehammers while cartel members stood
[24:08] Watched and placed bets on people according to court testimony The rumors had been going on for years But no one believed it was true until scores of bodies were found in unmarked graves with their skulls bashed in with sledgehammers Yeah, right And I still get emails from people every day telling me how excited they are to get their plan B moving So they can move to Mexico People are dense. What will it take? And if you're thinking yeah, Mexico is coming around Look, they arrested all these guys and they haven't been prison now Well, guess what it took nine years for the Mexican court to try them By the way, when those mass graves were found forensic experts excavated and found hundreds more bodies almost all young males
[24:54] Besides the ones that had their skulls bashed in So it's not just that there's an amazing death toll of 122. There are hundreds more They just happen to be buried at a convenient mass grave site Now if you're thinking that's the limit that's the worst you could get the worst they've ever seen court documents reveal So total was control of the drug lords the Zeta cartel over Mexican bus companies That the bus companies themselves failed to report the disappearances of vast numbers of bus passengers to authorities Until obvious large quantities of victims unclaimed luggage began piling up at border city bus terminals Hmm. So what do you think about that? Oh, and by the way, did I tell you I know of a bunch of cheap Mexican townhouses for sale
[25:45] Yeah, and the seller's easy to spot. He's got a gold tooth neck tattoo and a pet snake Then again, if you don't mind a little danger, you could live in Chicago my hometown that title in town This Memorial Day weekend came off as usual. There were only 50 shootings 41 people injured 9 dead. Would you have guessed that none of those shootings were in white neighborhoods? Nope You can't say that then a day later on September 3rd Four people were shot to death on a Chicago area transit train all shot at close range while they were asleep They caught the guy never mentioned his nationality, of course, since that would be racist Actually, what I believe is all that stuff I just told you about Chicago the hundred shootings on the 4th of July the 50 shootings on Memorial Day
[26:34] That's all fake news Illinois has the strictest of gun laws in Chicago is even stricter as everyone knows gun control saves lives So this couldn't possibly have actually happened Fake news, man. Anyway, as far as that train shooter who supposedly killed for it's only murder in Chicago The guy will be out in three days. And if he's indigent or an illegal alien, they'll put him up in a nice hotel Give him a cell phone and a prepaid debit card. Chicago is a sanctuary city You know ask any Haitian or Venezuelan? Yep. It's my kind of town Oh, and again, there was no name and no picture of that shooter though. Some say he had a long black coat and a funny hat That's okay. I think we all have a good idea. We know who it is
[27:20] It's one of those crackhead Northside Amish kids Amish Amish Whatever my brother who lives in Chicago says some are saying there's trouble in the Amish hood. Amish bros be beefin You've been listening to the expat files living in Latin America If you need some help with your own plan B We can schedule a one-on-one phone or Skype consult Just send me an email the expat files at gmail.com And if you want to get on the waiting list for my next week-long expat insider seminar in Central America Where you're guaranteed to get a two to five year head start on your plan B Send me an email the expat files at gmail.com