Episode Summary
In this episode, Johnny Mueller discusses the growing trade relationship between China and South America, highlighting that China has become the largest trading partner for the region, surpassing the United States. He critiques the mainstream media for dismissing Trump's claim that China owns the Panama Canal, arguing that while the canal itself is not owned by China, the surrounding land and infrastructure are heavily controlled by Chinese entities. Johnny also delves into the history of the Panama Canal, mentioning the U.S. involvement in its construction and maintenance, and references the 2015 incident where a major crack was discovered in the new locks, which the U.S. had to repair due to its strategic importance. He concludes by expressing concerns about the strategic importance of the Panama Canal and its potential role in future conflicts.
Johnny Mueller then discusses the idea of having a 'Plan B' in various locations, highlighting the dangers of places like Panama and the Middle East. He critiques the notion of moving to Israel as a safe option, noting that the region is a 'tinderbox' with a lit fuse. He also mentions the nuclear option and the failure of governments to manage such situations effectively. The segment then shifts to Uruguay, where he points out that despite its reputation as a safe, laid-back country, it has a higher homicide rate than some other cities in Latin America. Finally, he comments on the obesity crisis in Mexico, citing statistics and the new Secretary of Health and Education, Mario Delgado, whose name is a play on words for 'skinny.'
The podcast segment discusses the growing issue of junk food consumption in Mexico, highlighting the government's failed attempts to regulate processed foods through warning labels and the lack of enforcement. It also touches on the cultural shift toward fast food and its impact on students and the broader population. The segment then transitions to a discussion on medical tourism in Latin America, focusing on the risks associated with unlicensed procedures and the appeal of cheaper surgeries for Latinas living in the U.S.
Johnny Mueller discusses the prevalence of fake doctors, particularly in Latin America, using the case of Marilyn Cote, an imposter psychiatrist who gained fame on social media. He highlights the dangers of relying on online presence for verifying medical credentials and emphasizes the importance of checking professional organizations for legitimacy. He also contrasts the self-made billionaires in the U.S. with the largely inherited or politically connected wealth of Latin American billionaires, using Carlos Slim as an example.
This segment of the podcast discusses the rise of Carlos Slim, a Mexican entrepreneur, and his business strategies in Mexico and the United States. It highlights how Slim leveraged political connections and created a monopoly in telecommunications through Telmex, which became a major cell phone and internet provider across Latin America. However, when Slim attempted to replicate his success in the U.S. by acquiring Compu USA, he faced legal consequences due to violating a contract, resulting in a significant fine. The segment contrasts the business environments in Mexico and the U.S., emphasizing the lack of legal protections and the importance of political influence in Mexico.
Episode Notes
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller explores the evolving trade dynamics between China and South America, the strategic implications of the Panama Canal, and the dangers expats face in regions like Panama and the Middle East. He also delves into the obesity crisis in Mexico, the rise of fake doctors, and the business strategies of Carlos Slim.
For more episodes, seminar information, resources, and the full archive, visit ExpatPlanB.com.
Keep exploring
Related guides: Healthcare in Latin America · Safety and Scams
Search the full episode archiveBrowse practical guidesExplore the Expat Insider SeminarAsk about a consultation
Topics
China's growing influence in South America, The Panama Canal and U.S. strategic interests, Media portrayal of Trump's claims about China, The history and maintenance of the Panama Canal, Plan B locations, Safety in Uruguay, Obesity crisis in Mexico, Junk food consumption in Mexico, Medical tourism in Latin America, Risks of unlicensed medical procedures, Medical fraud, Social media and fake credentials
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:38 China's Growing Trade Influence in South America 00:01:01 Trump's Claim About the Panama Canal and Media Response 00:01:42 Johnny's Personal Experience and Observations on the Panama Canal 00:03:38 The Panama Canal Expansion and U.S. Involvement 00:06:14 Missile Silos and Plan B Locations 00:07:17 Panama Canal and Safety Concerns 00:08:36 Safety in Uruguay and Crime Rates 00:10:33 Obesity Crisis in Mexico 00:12:38 Mexican Government's Battle Against Processed Food 00:14:21 Transition to Medical Tourism in Latin America 00:18:27 The Fate of Fake Doctors 00:18:47 The Rise of an Imposter Psychiatrist 00:23:19 The Wealth of Latin American Billionaires 00:24:38 Introduction to Carlos Slim's Business Acumen 00:25:08 The Rise of Slim's Monopoly in Telecommunications 00:26:52 Legal Consequences of Slim's U.S. Expansion
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 as 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 All right, let's start with a few disturbing factoids today Here we go according to Spanish Latin American site called latina metrics China is now South America's largest trading partner
[00:47] That includes economies of Brazil Chile Peru Argentina Venezuela, etc So for the first time trade with China has surpassed the historically dominant trade with the US I know I know it might be a boring subject to you But I'm bringing it up because just lately remember Trump says he wants to buy back the Panama Canal, right? What do you think when you heard that? Were you thinking he's nuts or wait a minute. Wait a minute. We built it We paid for it. It's rightfully ours and Jimmy Carter was an idiot What did you think it sure came out of left field didn't it? And of course when he said that there was a lot of blowback from the idiot mainstream press Always always ready to jump on Trump for whatever he says Of course, one of the big reasons why Trump even brought it up is because China he says owns the Panama Canal
[01:37] Well, the truth is and the mainstream press says he's nuts for saying that Well, the truth is and I've been down there to see it man. I actually took a tour of the Panama Canal with my mother Been to Panama Dozens and dozens of times. Well, guess what the Chinese own all the land around the Panama Canal They don't own the canal itself. Trump is being hyperbolic as usual, but what's around the Panama Canal? hundreds and hundreds of gigantic warehouses Owned by you guessed it the Chinese. Where do you think so many of those containers going through the canal get offloaded? Where merchandise gets unboxed sorted reboxed then redistributed reshipped, etc, etc
[02:23] Plus they've got one of the biggest free trade areas in the world in a little city called Cologne right in Panama I've been there too many time They've got hundreds of little stores and wholesale shops 9 out of 10 owned and operated by guess who the Chinese In fact when you go through those commercial and wholesale Districts in Panama in that free trade zone. They've got every sign in Spanish some in English and Mandarin Chinese What I'm getting at is don't believe the lame stream media when they say oh China is not involved That's not the reason Trump just wants to carry a big stick in illegally gobble up strategic lands The fact is if there's ever a cold or hot war a stale made of any kind or blockade with China
[03:09] The Chinese have all the land in the warehouses on both ends of the Panama Canal Just don't be fooled to thinking Trump's making another grandstand asshole play He's got good reason behind his Panama stance by the way I've got friends engineering nerd friends down in Panama and they know the history of the Panama Canal more than anyone Guess who always comes in and fixes it when the Panamanians screw it up the US Oh, and you might have heard about the big expansion of the Panama Canal a few years back back in 2013 to 2015, but did you know that the Panamanians hired the low bidder a Spanish company? to do the expansion took a couple of years and Soon after that in fact before it even opened there was a huge breach in one of the brand-new locks the cement crack
[03:55] Causing tens of millions of dollars in damage and guess who came in to fix it the US In fact, let me read a little press release out of Panama. I'm sure you've never heard about this came in September 10th 2015. It says the new lock in the Panama canals 5.25 billion expansion has a huge crack and leaks The cracks appear during testing the new codiceal locks on the Pacific tide with alarming videos showing water Pouring out of a huge crack in the wall across the width of the lock chamber It says on Monday the Panama Canal Authority said it was awaiting a report and an answer from the contractor Grupo Unido GU PC a Spanish contracting company. It says when the massive leak was first discovered in August 2015
[04:45] The Panama Canal Authority said it would not impact the expansions opening which was already two years behind schedule Talk about my Niana time, huh? By the way, you've heard me mentioned many times and my Niana time exists in every Latin country Well, guess what? It also exists in the mother country Spain and Portugal and to a lesser extent Italy Which is why it was somewhat normal to expect a two-year delay in the Panama Canal expansion a Spanish company was in charge So anyway, when they were testing the thing a huge crack appeared Then a breach of thousands of gallons of water a minute who came in to fix it guess the US Why because the US is so heavily dependent on the commerce through the Panama Canal
[05:32] It need to be repaired and fast by the way as far as the US is concerned. It's the only I mean only strategic choke point Militarily and defensively in all of Latin America. In other words if there's an all-out war or something close to it It's the only place in Latin America. That's got nuclear missiles pointed at it yet Another reason why I'd never consider Panama for my own plan B Though you might think my reasoning is a little paranoid. You might be thinking nuclear war that'll never happen Well, if you talk to most military specialists, they'll tell you we've just been lucky. They'll tell you it's just a matter of time Not if but when? Unless you believe those stories about flying saucers hovering over Missile silos and shutting them down. We've heard that one right from both the US and Russian sources
[06:20] Even so fact of fiction yet another reason I'd never want to have a plan B in Panama worse yet In Europe or the Middle East talk about being in the belly of the beast why people for example consider moving to Israel I'll never know that's the tinderbox man. The fuse is already lit there Though of course, there are hundreds of reasons is why having a plan B in Europe is a bad idea The thing is though as far as the nuclear option We all know how fucked up governments are and if you trust your government, they tell you that option is off the table Don't worry. We've got things under control then go ahead move to a place. That's a known flashpoint So didn't defensive Trump on this one a Panama thing what an idiot Jimmy Carter turned out to be huh or not
[07:09] I think it's just one of those nice guys finish last sort of thing I think you're seeing that history has not treated Jimmy Carter very kindly Oh, and by the way, if you want to see a scary picture of that big Panama Canal crack It's about a hundred and fifty feet long and spewing about a hundred gallons a second If you want to see the damage up front and personal send me an email the expat files at gmail.com Alright moving on, you know when you think about Uruguay you think of a nice calm backward little country very safe Almost like going back in a time machine to the 1950s rural America, right? Well, it turns out in the last election they had last September 2024 There were questions on the ballot. So you read the questions and check the boxes for or against
[07:58] For example, one of the questions was would you like the new government to reform this Social Security system? Another question was would you accept? nighttime police raids at your house or business Hmm. What a crazy question to ask the voters of Uruguay nice safe clean laid-back little Uruguay Would you accept nighttime police raids at your house or business? Hmm, what's that all about? turns out according to government stats from the years 2023 and 2024 the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo is Actually less safe than you might think with a higher homicide rate per capita Then traditionally high crime cities like Bogota Colombia and Medellin Colombia
[08:46] It's odd because you go right across the bay from Montevideo. There's Argentina and Argentina's got some of the safest cities in the hemisphere Only Canada is generally considered safer though. Of course Buenos Aires has its share of crime But then again, it's all about the district you happen to live or work in months of video with a high homicide rate Hardly seems right, but it's true Alright moving on lots of gringos and expats living down here in Latin America I have not been back to the States for years I for one I Happen to know quite a few of them who haven't been back in ten years or so then eventually they have to park back for a funeral or a wedding of baptism a Bar mitzvah, maybe a class reunion if you're into that kind of stuff
[09:35] I'm not but lots of people are Seems to me the only people that really love going to their class reunions are people Who want to brag about how much better their lives are compared to their former classmates and of course all the fools that were in student council or student government What a bunch of kiss-ass jerks they were at least in my schools back in the 70s Anyway, one of the most common comments and refrains I get from expats who've been back to the states after a long absence They say Johnny everyone in the US is just so fat. I don't remember it being like that Yeah, well, you know, it is a tragedy, but you might not realize this but it's worse in Mexico When you're in Mexico or in a Mexican Airport, you can't help but notice it. In fact, the latest stats for 2024 are overwhelmingly bad
[10:22] For example right now. I'm reading from a report that just came out from the Mexican Department of Health and Education they're saying that 75% of Mexican children and adolescents from age 5 to 19 are overweight or obese 75% that's staggering. We're talking about children and adolescents Mexico has got the highest rate of childhood obesity and childhood diabetes in the world So it won't surprise you that Mexico is the largest consumer of ultra processed foods and drinks in all of Latin America Which according to UNICEF is the source of 40% of Mexican preschoolers Caloric intake. So is it any surprise that diabetes is the second leading cause of death in all of Mexico?
[11:10] On a positive note the new Secretary of Health and Education is Mario Delgado That last name Delgado in Spanish means skinny Something of an oxymoron and an aptonym, you know what an aptonym is. It's someone who's got a name That's intimately related to their profession career their personality or the way they look like for example a skinny guy named George twig that's an aptonym or let's say a bearded dentist named Harry Moller or a chiropractor named John Tendon So anyway in Mexico the new Secretary of Health and Education is Mario skinny Mario Delgado in Spanish. Anyway, according to his department in 2023 30 Mexicans die every hour from obesity induced illness and the epidemic of Comida
[12:00] Chatar that's junk food does indeed haunt the country. He says According to his department data from 2023 and 2024 committed Chatar That's junk food is sold at 98 percent of Mexican schools and sugar drinks at 95 percent of all Mexican schools Only two out of ten that's one out of five Mexican schools have free Drinking water available on site. So at four out of five Mexican schools if you're thirsty You've got a couple options bring your own refreshment by bottled water which most don't or by Sugar enhanced soda soda pop. Oh and guess what the agency reports The Mexican government has been waging a losing battle against processed food between 2010 and 2020 warning labels were added to most food
[12:47] Packaging for items that contain excess saturated fat added sugars calories or salt But no one's paying attention in Mexico. No one reads the labels sound familiar Even so all these items are still sold at public and private schools So obviously there's no enforcement and the labels don't make a difference This Mexican health and education report goes on to say processed food and highly sugary beverages Available at any tienda in the country offer a cheaper more convenient option than many of the healthier foods That people traditionally ate but are being replaced with junk food Junk and processed food known as comida rápido or comida chatara and have become an integral part of the Mexican diet today
[13:33] Many students bringing along processed food and snacks from home Then they've got a quote from a street fender that for 35 years Sat right outside in front of a very big Mexico City public school He says quote I used to sell large quantities of fruit make sandwiches from scratch sell water, etc Which I still have on hand and older adult customers will often buy But he says I've been selling outside of a school in Mexico City for 34 years and the kids Don't want to eat that stuff. They want something sweet something chewy something salty So if I don't offer it, they'll go across the street and get it from someone else So in Mexico as with the United States junk food addictions with the young are deep into the bone
[14:21] Alright changing gears again Medical tourism is huge in Latin America Just who are these people from the US and Canada flying down? They get these medical treatments and of course you get the occasional story up there of a botched surgery in Mexico, Panama Costa Rica, wherever Sometimes where the person even dies or when they get back to the states after their operation in their recovery period They end up in the hands of a specialist up in the states to try to fix the problem Now thankfully that only happens probably one in a thousand times, but it does happen. I mean look at Cardi B I know I know she might be hard to look at knowing all those lumps bumps and curves came from unlicensed so-called medical personnel Who injected that stuff in her butt and elsewhere in back rooms and basements?
[15:09] She admits it there was a time down here in Latin America probably still going on where people will inject Polymers into your butt and elsewhere at about a tenth of the cost of going to a real doctor a real surgeon Isn't it funny for people like Cardi B the closer you get the worse she looks? The problem as I see it down here in Latin America people who are looking for plastic surgery are always going for the cheapest price It's always price first The qualifications of a surgeon are always secondary or not even spoken about at all in fact I've noticed a huge influx of Latinos flying in to get surgeries done here in Latin America We're talking about Latinos well established in the states people working regular middle-class jobs They realize they can't afford to go to a plastic surgeon up in the states, but down here in Latin America at maybe
[15:56] 25 or 30 percent of the cost they can swing it plus they get a trip back to the home country Visit the relatives and stuff check in for a week or two during the recovery period before they go back to New York or New Jersey In fact, I'll never forget the time. I want to get stem cells in the Dominican Republic I had to go to a cardiologist get a heart workup EKG and all that as part of the workup and The cardiologist's office happened to be in a big plastic surgery clinic building There was a whole floor of specialists of all kinds and the cardiologist had an office there too because all the ladies coming in for their plastic surgery had to get a cardiac evaluation before getting operated up as Mentioned it was a giant clinic with many floors a very modern building with a big sign outside that said
[16:44] central del cerrilla Plastic Oh Anyway for a while. I was stuck in a central waiting room lounge with about 30 chairs in it All of them filled with ladies waiting for their various surgical appointments and of course in a room for the ladies They're always talking right most of them speaking in English decent, but broken English Nearly all of them might say nine out of ten of them were Latinas who were living in the states by Jammy, New Jersey No, but York and they'd flown down to get cheap plastic surgery in the Dominican Republic Believe me. These weren't homegrown many generation Caucasian Americans These were Latinas living up in the states for a short period of time But long enough to learn English and do well for themselves long enough to get their permanent
[17:30] Residency or even passports to travel back and forth these young ladies were first-generation Middle-class Americans whose families or husbands or boyfriends had achieved the American dream not enough though So that they could afford plastic surgery up in New York or Chicago wherever But they could afford it at half to a quarter of the price in Latin America Problem is there are lots of fraudulent doctors here in Latin America Not in the big clinics because you know They suss them out to get an office in a big clinic to put your brass doctors plaque up on the door and to get hospital Privileges you have to be certified by the medical board, etc They have websites where you can check all that but people just don't especially Latinas up in the states They go by word-of-mouth and social media It's the freelancers you have to worry about the ones that have offices in commercial buildings
[18:19] Next to Chicken Lick and Taco Bell and the dollar store That's where patients can run into trouble. A medical hack job is always newsworthy So then what happens to the doctors? Well, if they're legit doctors, they get sued and go in front of the medical board and stuff if they're not they just Disappear the next day speaking of fake doctors and fake diplomas. There is this story right now of an imposter psychiatrist an imposter MD Psychiatrist in Mexico who became very famous in the national conversation. Her name is Marilyn Cote called yourself Dr. Marilyn Cote, but she's not She may have continued to get away with practicing medicine dispensing pills and psychiatry Indefinitely had she just kept things a bit more let's say modest
[19:07] However, people like to be famous on social media on tik-tok, etc. I mean look that's how a lot of Latinas Anyway, find their fake doctors on social media. Anyway This lady coat was very active on social media and claimed she had degrees from Harvard and it worked for the FBI doing behavioral analysis in the US at Quantigo the FBI training ground no less She said she'd been director of a mental disorders Institute at the University of Oslo That's what it said on her profile in her social media pages Now everyone likes a handsome or good-looking doctor, right? So she photoshopped her own images to the point that she looked like a fashion model turned doctor
[19:53] So anyway, she became famous on social media. She loved the attention With her main claim to fame is that she offered a tantalizing seven-day cure for depression Treating her patients and prescribing all kinds of psychotropic medications without any medical license at all Well her presence on social media accounts finally caught up with her and after the authorities got suspicious and things got touchy She disappeared whereabouts unknown. So anyway when it comes to marketing on social media Seems attention-seeking fraudsters get sucked into a black hole of their own making which brings us back to the question How do you find a legit surgeon or doctor of any kind? Well all the medical professions plastic surgery gynecology urology, etc
[20:39] Have professional organizations within the country you're inquiring about just go to the relevant website and plug in that doctor's name See if he's a member in good standing I've done that a bunch of times and if the doc you're checking out doesn't appear there That's a big red flag by the way on the tourist trail, especially lots of medical doctors plastic surgeons the works They advertise in gringo English language rags and they say they speak English. Well, you know what? Any young Latin American doctor under I'd say 45 years old speaks a bit of English sometimes a lot of English It's a medical school requirement. So don't bite just because they say they speak English That's a marketing ploy because you know when you see ads like that all in English You can bet that doctor is gonna be a lot higher price than the other doctor down the street who has the same education
[21:28] But doesn't advertise in the strictly English gringo journals rags and fake book groups Anyway, just to repeat because this is so crazy There are plain loads upon plain loads of Latinas living up in the United States Coming down here to Latin America for these BBL and other plastic surgery procedures. Why because the price is right They can't afford to pay Let's say 15 or 20 thousand for a BBL when they can get it down here in Latin America for five or six Problem is these Latinas living up in the states are Average Latinas with average brains or less who don't or don't know how to do the research Necessary to check out these docs all they've seen is that they do good work on fake book and tick tock perfect example Cardi B
[22:14] I mean when you've got a 10-word vocabulary that sort of limits the amount of research. You're capable of all right moving on Let's talk about the billionaire class for a second You know all the billionaire names up in the states all the ones that come to mind have created Brand-new very special things super intelligent super creative and super inventive kind of people like Elon Musk Bill Gates love more hate him mostly hate him Jeff Bezos same thing love more hate him mostly hate him Then there's fart succotard love more hate him mostly hate him Kind of a repulsive little weenie, isn't he Michael sailor love more hate him mostly love him Anyway, you get the point in the states billionaires. I'm mostly creative geniuses unless of course you inherit your wealth But on that point I just read an article that said only 20% of billionaires inherited their wealth
[23:05] So 80% are pretty much self-made, so then what about Latin America? I mean that is the point of this show right living in Latin America well being that Latin America is third world To be a billionaire down here you might imagine you have to sort of play by different rules That said I'm gonna lay some surprising facts on you about Latin American billionaires Richest guy in Latin America Carlos fat boy slim now. There's an afternoon for you He's a little fat really poli guy, but his name is Carlos slim He's worth a hundred two billion dollars. He's five times as rich as the next billionaire Eduardo Salvin from Brazil Imagine that he's five times as rich as the next Latin American billionaire, but here's something you ought to know not one
[23:53] Of the top 10 billionaires in Latin America actually created something new design something Innovated patented some new invention. They either inherited it did it through banking finance or Sweetheart government deals through friends family and nepotism take fat boy Carlos sim What do you think his story is listen to this in Mexico Carlos slim did not make his money by innovation He made stock market deals His major coup was the acquisition of Telmex the Mexican telecommunications monopoly that was privatized by Carlos Salinas in 1990 with the advent of cell phones that's when the government announced its intention to sell a 51% of all the stock in the company and also
[24:40] The rights to the use of various frequencies for cell phone technology So anyway, the government opened bids in 1990 and Carlos slim did not put in the highest bid not at all But he won the contract how'd that happen not only that he made a very unusual deal Of course in his favor instead of paying for the shares right away He managed to delay payment using the dividends of Telmex itself to pay for the stock highly unusual So in 1990 Telmex which once was a public monopoly now became slims personal monopoly Hugely profitable monopoly it became Claro the only game in town, you know Claro, right? Especially if you're living here in Latin America, it's in every Latin American country. That's the major cell phone and internet provider
[25:28] Here's the thing the economic institutions that made Carlos slim a billionaire are very different from those in the US If you're a Mexican entrepreneur entry barriers will play a crucial role at every stage of your career You have to suck up to people nepotism, etc. Those barriers include expensive licenses red tape Politicians you got to pay off Donations you have to make to political campaigns, etc. Etc. Anyway, Carlos sim was a master at obtaining those Exclusive contract and sweetheart deals from politicians. He managed to create his own monopoly in Telecommunications over the entire market of Mexico and that extended it all to the rest of Latin America So slim made his billions in large part thanks to his political connections
[26:14] Then guess what? He decided to go into the United States. He got too big for his britches though He was not successful in 1999 he went to the US and bought the computer retailer Compu USA Well, he immediately violated his contract and started setting up his own chain of stores computer stores at the time though CompuServe USA had given a Franchise to a firm called COC to sell its merchandise in tienes in Mexico Slim violated that contract and was sued in a Dallas court Slim lost and was fined 454 million bucks. In other words, he found out the hard way You just can't phone up your politician buddies like you can in Mexico and make legal actions
[27:01] Just sort of go away. In other words when fat boy slim used Mexican business tactics in the United States He ran into the US courts where his usual tactics didn't work Instead, they punished him to a tune of about a half a billion dollars And you know when you hear stories like that, you realize why the third world is so chaotic Why there is no such thing as a handshake deal and people even when they have a contract that signed sealed and delivered Still sort of don't trust each other 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
[27:50] 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