Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller dives into several key topics that are relevant to expats living or considering relocation to Latin America. He begins by discussing real estate in Nicaragua, warning against relying on gringo real estate brokers who often prioritize their own interests over those of expats. He references an interview with a gringo real estate developer that led to criticism from a listener named Patrick, who questioned the credibility of the source. Johnny also responds to an email from a listener in Tennessee who is considering moving to Latin America and asks about the prevalence of chem trails in Guatemala. He concludes by mentioning a recent event in San Salvador where he was introduced as an emcee, highlighting the presence of large-scale events in the region.
In another segment, Johnny shares his personal experiences and opinions on chemtrails, particularly in Latin America. He mentions that he has lived in the region for over 20 years and has observed the skies extensively with tools like a telescope and binoculars. He notes that he has only seen a few instances of chemtrail-like patterns, mostly over major cities like San Jose and Cologne. He speculates that if chemtrails are being used, they are concentrated in first-world countries, and he doubts their presence in Latin America due to the inefficiency of local governments and the poor state of aviation infrastructure. He also references the U.S. government's history of spraying defoliants on drug crops, highlighting the irony and hypocrisy of such actions.
Johnny then discusses his views on the inefficiency and corruption of Latin American governments, using Brazil's World Cup stadium project as a prime example. He criticizes the lack of progress and the excessive bureaucracy, suggesting that these governments are akin to 'idiot children' who create more chaos than solutions. He also touches on the broader issues of crime and safety in Latin America, using Guatemala as a case study, and highlights the importance of choosing safe areas when moving to the region. Johnny emphasizes the need for expats to be informed and cautious, warning against the dangers of ignoring safety concerns and being overly confident in their own judgment.
In another segment, Johnny discusses the importance of avoiding dangerous areas for expats in Guatemala, particularly highlighting the risks of living or doing business in zones labeled as run-down ghettos. He emphasizes that successful long-term expats avoid such areas, attributing the term 'clueless gringo' to those who ignore available information and end up in dangerous places. He then references a crime statistics article that lists the most dangerous places in Guatemala, including Zone 18 in Guatemala City, Villanueva, and Misco, which is noted for being the third most dangerous place and having the son of the president as its mayor. Johnny also mentions a new expat who set up a business in Misco, reinforcing the idea that some expats ignore safety advice. He concludes by discussing crime statistics in a small town, Aguas Calientes, which has virtually no crime, highlighting the contrast with dangerous areas.
In the final segment, Johnny discusses the social issues and opportunities in small towns in Latin America, particularly focusing on the town of Agua Calientes. He highlights the challenges such as alcoholism, inter-family violence, and marijuana use among adolescents, while also emphasizing the cleanliness and pride of these towns. Johnny recommends small towns for new expats, citing the lower cost of living, availability of modern amenities, and the potential for business opportunities. He shares a success story of an expat who opened a gym in a small Honduran town with minimal investment, illustrating the advantages of starting a business in such locations.
Topics
Real estate in Nicaragua, Gringo real estate brokers, Chem trails in Guatemala, Events in Latin America, Chemtrails, Latin America, U.S. Government Actions, Aviation Infrastructure, Criticism of Latin American governments, Crime and safety in Latin America, Expatriate experiences in Latin America, Safety for expats in Guatemala
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:52 Warning Against Gringo Real Estate Brokers in Nicaragua 00:02:41 The Real Estate Bubble and Gringo Brokers 00:03:58 Chem Trails in Guatemala and Expat Considerations 00:06:01 Chemtrails Discussion Begins 00:06:51 Johnny's Experience in Latin America 00:08:02 Concentration of Chemtrails in First-World Countries 00:10:34 Moving to Latin America and Government Inefficiency 00:12:40 Crime and Violence in Latin America 00:15:00 The Importance of Avoiding Dangerous Areas for Expats in Guatemala 00:15:51 Crime Statistics and the Most Dangerous Places in Guatemala 00:19:05 Aguas Calientes: A Safe Small Town in Guatemala 00:19:41 Acknowledging Social Issues in the Town 00:20:03 Marijuana as a Common Weed 00:21:27 Recommendation for Small Towns 00:22:23 Success Story of a Gym in Honduras 00:23:14 Cost of Starting a Business in Small Towns 00:23:51 Opening Doors Without a Problem 00:23:54 Back to Violence, Safety and Security 00:23:58 Not a Big Advocate of Living in a Big City 00:24:02 Nice Districts in Large Latin American Cities 00:24:05 Choosing the Right Neighborhoods 00:24:10 Scouting for Safe Places 00:24:12 Steps to Find Safe Locations 00:24:16 Avoiding Dangerous Locations
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 out to play And now that I wander Hello there all you expat 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 Okay before I get on to part two of crime and violence in Latin America I'd like to comment a bit on two really quick and easy emails here The first one is in regard to a show I did a little while ago Regarding real estate in Nicaragua being sold by 100% gringo real estate brokers
[00:52] And if you recall the gist of my rant was that you should stay away from gringo real estate developers at all costs Because everything they say is in their own best interests And I guarantee you that you're going to pay twice or more than you would if you went on your own and scouted things out And that's not to disparage at all the real estate deals you can get in Nicaragua You're just not going to get one going through a gringo real estate agent, that's for sure Or by selecting anyone selling real estate who's got an English website Then you'll be looking at nothing but gringo pricing That said, as you remember I read parts of an interview taken from a respectable investment newsletter Where they interviewed just such a gringo real estate developer and broker in Nicaragua And after I did the show with some of that interview
[01:40] I got a few emails like this one from Patrick And he says, hi Johnny, just listen to your Sunday June 15th show And I'm on that same newsletter list that you're speaking of Okay it's me again to explain this a bit And what he's talking about is that international expat newsletter where I pulled that interview from Anyway he goes on to say, I've been in real estate myself on and off for more than 30 years Listen Johnny, talk about front running I for one was appalled apparently as you were at that article In fact it makes me more and more suspicious of that particular newsletter source that you're speaking of You got it right, great show, thanks Patrick So anyway there you have it, a 30 year real estate broker who sees clearly what's going on in the real estate biz down here in Latin America
[02:33] I repeat, turn around and walk away when you see a gringo real estate broker approaching And by the way if you listen to that last show The guy never once mentioned the huge real estate bubble that's blowing up right around us What does that tell you? So I don't care where you are in Latin America If you run into a gringo real estate broker Whether it's Belize or Nicaragua or any place on or off the gringo tourist trail And especially in Costa Rica and Panama The fact is they're going to try to lead you to water but you don't have to drink And I warn you if you buy into their spiel you're going to get gouged Then later in a year or so when the bubble finally pops you're going to kick yourself a million times That said here's another email asking me to hit on something I've never hit on before
[03:21] I don't know if I should read the whole thing It's a little gushy but what the hell Starts out, hello Johnny we discovered your shows about a month ago and can't stop listening In going back through your archives we've reached September 2013 And have truly enjoyed hearing your wisdom and knowing someone else in the world sees things as we do Though we are striving to be Tennessee homesteaders We dream of a life with more freedom economic hope and better health For us one big daily reminder of the realities of life in America Is the daily chem trailing we have received for at least four years now The question we have for you is Is there chem trailing like this in any of Latin America more specifically in Guatemala This would be a big factor in our decision making and choice of location
[04:09] Though we've tried to search this out we have not gotten quality confirmation either way Can you help answer this vital question Thanks so much we anxiously await your next new show and listen daily to the archives for inspiration and hope Most sincerely The tentative wannabes from Tennessee Try saying that ten times in a hurry You know not to have false modesty or anything When people write stuff saying how great the show is and all that Well I've always got expat Eddie to knock me down a few notches Like for example Last time I helped him out on a little gig as an emcee for a really big event at the Princess Hotel in San Salvador It was one of those big three day food conventions Where every manufacturer in the world has a booth set up and they're trying to sell your stuff
[04:54] You know all the latest and greatest in the food and restaurant business And free food and drinks handed out by the most beautiful Latina models you've ever seen And of course expat Eddie's fiance was one of them So yes it's not just up in the first row where they have those big events going down They've got absolutely monstrous events like that Seems like practically every week or so in the larger cities In the nicer business areas of town of course Since those are the places where they have four star hotels and convention centers With recognizable first world names like Clarion, Radisson, Intercontinental, Princess, etc. Anyway on stage at that event Eddie introduced me by saying Okay everyone now I'd like to present my good friend your emcee for tonight Johnny Mueller
[05:39] And if you'll indulge me for a moment there'll be a slight pause while everyone whispers Who gives a f*** So that's what I have to put up with You know what they say with friends like that Who needs Obama What you mean they don't say that Well they should Anyway who could grow a big head with an introduction like that Okay all right Chemtrails we're talking about right Huh there's a lot of non-believers out there but I'm not one of them Just too much evidence you know In fact for you non-believers out there All you have to do is pick up that Academy Award winning movie from 2006 called Little Miss Sunshine Remember that one where Alan Arkin the old man got the Academy Award for that And if you fast forward it to the scene where they're out in the desert
[06:26] And they stop to get out of the car to have a little bit of a fight Just look up in the background sky I'm serious the camera crew inadvertently recorded the best set of chemtrails that you'll ever see And that was way out in no man's land in the boonies in the Arizona desert in 2006 Now of course there was no mention of it in the movie It had nothing to do with the movie plot so why would they? But just check it out and you'll see what I mean Now as far as Latin America I've been down here a long time And unlike your average first world person I actually look up at the sky quite a bit Now that might not mean much to you but I actually have a very nice telescope and a nice set of binoculars As well as a night vision scope too So I'm probably much more into observing what's going on around me and in the skies than the average Joe
[07:14] Or Johnny Because you know down here when you're outside of those polluted big cities At night the sky's so clear and there's so many stars It's a shame not to take a few minutes to look up every once in a while And in the daytime there are spectacular skies too With in my experience anyway not much of a hint at all of chemtrail action In fact I remember only three instances since I've been down here more than 20 years Where I've actually checked out the sky and saw some patterns And had a sneaking suspicion that they might be chemtrails And believe it or not two of those three places I saw what might have been chemtrails Were over San Jose the capital of Costa Rica And Cologne the second largest city in Panama So regarding chemtrails the way I figure it
[08:00] Whatever is responsible They seem to be concentrating heavily on certain first world spots up north And if there is any of it going on at all down here in Latin America They're doing it very very infrequently And then only in larger cities on the gringo tourist trail Though I could be wrong because it was such a small sample Though remember this I can only imagine if a latin government was offered some funding From a clandestine US agency or whatever To do that kind of weird spraying down here It would be just the usual inefficient chaotic failure as usual Since all things governments touch turn to feces And you know there is a precedent for it Because after all US government contractors
[08:45] Do spray defolians and paraquat analogs On cocaine and marijuana crops I personally know a gringo helicopter pilot who does that down here And yes he's ex-military and does his share of recreational drugs too Hopefully not while flying Man there's got to be stronger words than irony and hypocrisy When you're talking about that So in effect he gets paid for killing drugs that he goes out and buys on weekends With the money he got paid for killing those very drugs Hmm A typical catch-22 or maybe even a catch-23 Of course I just made that up Not the story but the catch-23 part Anyway as if you didn't know already That kind of failed drug war spraying Is an ongoing multi-billion dollar business association
[09:33] That's going on between latin countries and the US DEA Another make-work project and pathetic example of your tax dollar down the toilet Bottom line as far as spraying chemtrails down here Possible, anything's possible but I highly doubt it Just imagine if latin airplane pilots were hired to do that kind of thing The airplanes in almost all latin air forces are rickety old pieces of crap Pretty much the aviation equivalent of a chicken bus Like I've been told by latin pilots themselves Most of those crates never even get off the ground Except when there's some visiting jerk-off dignitary And they need to mount a parade and some false fanfare And by the way about a year and a half ago I was speaking to a military pilot A latin guy flying in a latin national air force
[10:20] And when I mentioned chemtrails to him He didn't know what the hell I was talking about He'd never even heard of them Of course he never heard of deodorant either But that's another story Which is yet another point in the plus column For moving down here to latin america No no not the smelly pilots But the fact that there's certainly no chemtrails Not that anyone's ever seen or reported it anyway Now you might think I'm joking here But you wouldn't believe how governments in latin america Not only screw up everything they touch They're just like idiot children that just can't get anything right The end result of anything they do or try to do is More chaos and mountains more paperwork And of course more relatives and friends doing nothing on the payroll And if you don't believe me just do a little start page internet search
[11:08] On brazil and its governments efforts to clean up the place before the world cup You'll find of all the thousands of government projects that have gone wrong And way over schedule Not to mention massively over budget That gigantic brand new soccer stadium was the biggest black hole of all I'm sure you've seen it on tv and in the news Well guess what? The games are almost over now and The stadium itself is not finished yet Duh How'd that happen? I mean come on they only had about 6 years notice to build the thing Construction workers are still on it night and day And it won't be finished until months after the games have come and gone And according to brazilian newspapers They're only 11 months behind
[11:53] And get this During the construction of that project Various workers went on strike no less than 11 times Not to mention millions of dollars of construction materials gone missing And how'd that happen? Hmm So that's how latin governments work And remember brazil is touted in the press anyway And in their own ridiculously bloated government PR As the so called magnificent powerhouse of latin america You've heard that before You know it's the big cheese with the brick countries It's the B in brick I know what you're thinking Brick cheese More like limburger if you ask me You thought it I only said it Alright enough said about that I went way off track as usual but what else is new?
[12:40] Oh well So now let's get into part 2 of crime and violence in latin america Now if you remember last week I was laying some facts on you Obtained from one of the larger latin american newspapers Regarding crime, violence and safety in cities in guatemala And why did I pick guatemala? Well for a couple of reasons One I have the data Two I have a lot of contacts in guatemala It's way off the tourist trail I know tons of gringos who came down with nothing And made small fortunes down here And finally On a recent Richard Martin show A guy named Axel came on live And blindsided Richard by saying Guatemala is a terrible unsafe destination Though he did admit things were very cheap there And that it was very cheap and easy To find and start up a brand new business
[13:26] In fact he started his own successful business After being there only 6 months But he says There's just way too much crime and insecurity for him to stay there Now I've met a ton of gringos Who are great talkers and terrible listeners In other words there are a lot of bullheaded headstrong gringos out there Who just want to do things their way Regardless of what they've heard or the facts presented to them Because you know in my over 360 shows now I've mentioned safety and security issues Dozens and dozens of times You'd think people would get it by now But I guess some don't What some headstrong gringos don't seem to understand Is that every medium and large sized Latin city Has some very terribly dangerous districts
[14:11] And some absolutely first world clean Safe and nice areas too You just have to know how to weed them out Which is also a topic I've brought up many many times in my shows And of course is a topic I again highlight in my seminars So there are places you definitely should keep away from But if you choose to set up shop in one of those places It's obvious you're just not listening Are bullheaded or adamant on doing things your way Like that Sinatra song My Way Actually written by Paul Anka Remember that verse? The record shows I took the blows And did it my way Well that might have been alright for Sinatra and Vegas But if he was down here in a third world ghetto They'd chew him up and spit him out in a New York, New York minute You get it? New York, New York?
[14:57] Yeah I know bad pun Now this I'll tell you Every successful long term gringo I know Does not live, work, play or have his business In zones, neighborhoods or areas That everyone knows are run down ghettos Inhabited by uneducated low class people Who are never going to get out of there I mean really in every big city in the world There are places where taxis won't even go at night Where taxis won't go in the day So the question is who's to blame When you have access to all the information Yet you don't act on it and you just Blunder on ahead I mean come on where do you think that term Clueless gringo came from I sure didn't make it up And you know the funny thing is Most clueless gringos are highly educated But clueless or in denial about their surroundings
[15:45] So anyway Last show I finished by quoting Crime statistics out of a big article That listed the most dangerous places to be in Guatemala And the safest Now to review this a bit Here's what it says Top 3 most dangerous places to live, work, play and or retire For anyone in the country of Guatemala Are number 1 Zone 18 in Guatemala City And if you remember last time I mentioned Like I mentioned in all my seminars Guatemala City has 25 geographically distinct zones With a third of those zones Basically dangerous ghettos that I don't recommend gringos visit day or night With another third of those 25 zones Safe and modern
[16:31] And so first world you'd think you were up in a nice area in a first world city If it wasn't for the fact that the signs were all in Spanish Then the last third of those 25 zones Are basically a mixture of industrial and working class housing That are safe enough by day Though I wouldn't be too thrilled walking around at night And by the way I even hand out a color coded map of all those zones and their relative safety Anyway let's move on to the second most dangerous place in the country of Guatemala A place you'd never want to live or do business is called Villanueva And what's considered the third most dangerous place in the whole country Is a town called Misco That's Misco It's spelled M-I-X-C-O
[17:17] And wouldn't you know it It turns out that the son of the president of the country is the mayor there How convenient Now just to reinforce the fact that some gringos just don't listen No matter how much drive it into their thick skulls Guess where our new clueless gringo friend set up his business Surprise surprise Only in one of the three most dangerous places in the whole country Let me read a little bit from an email that he sent me on June 1st Since my arrival I have been able to construct a shoe and leather product factory in Montserrat Misco Unquote Now don't you remember me saying just a few seconds ago That Misco is the third most dangerous place in the whole country
[18:03] That's like moving to Detroit and setting up your business in the ghetto Maybe they should give out some kind of metal for that huh Can you see what's happening here And who do you think is to blame for that So anyway back to this extensive violence and crime article on places in Guatemala Now like I said this town Misco And believe me I've been through there and it's really a dump and a scruffy ghetto Oh you can drive your car through there alright but you don't want to get out or roll down your windows Sounds like a tempting place to put a business huh Hmm Anyway this article goes on to say There are many other municipalities that have reported almost no criminality in the last six months Then they go ahead and list a couple of dozen cities and towns that fall into that category
[18:50] So what about actual crime statistics in these little towns First let's talk about a small town that on an annual basis has virtually no crime Hard to believe isn't it But it's not the only one Not by a long shot And this one in particular is called Aguas Calientes Now I've been there myself and it's picture perfect In this town of about 12,000 people The last time there was a homicide reported or a death due to unnatural causes Was get this six years ago And in the end it was found he died of alcohol intoxication In fact the article goes on to say It's a town that's so very tranquil That the last reported robbery incident was a stolen bicycle
[19:38] And that occurred not this year but last year It's not that we consider our town to be perfect Says municipal secretary Hamilton Lopez Yes our population is confronting other social problems that remain hidden Like alcoholism and inter-family violence And recently we found some adolescents have been consuming marijuana And by the way it's me again Regarding that the marijuana thing I gotta say it grows like a weed down here In fact like one farmer told me A regular farmer he said Once one or two marijuana plants get started You can't get rid of them After all it is considered a weed you know Hmm you get it? In other words it's basically free So that means kids who want to fool around and get high Don't have to spend a cent at the liquor store
[20:25] Now according to that town Agua Calientes spokesman Hamilton Lopez He mentioned his like so many other Guatemalan small towns Is always kept really quite tidy Compared to the medium and large size cities He says the people have pride in their town Their yards and possessions So the streets alleys and walkways remain very nice and clean and orderly Then he goes on to say as a plug for their little town San Antonio Agua Calientes is a very calm and beautiful place And we're waiting for the tourists to arrive Ok folks you get the point And you know there's dozens and dozens of towns And little cities like that throughout Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua
[21:10] Everywhere in Latin America And as for the big cities They all have their problems They all have their bad zones And they all have their very nice and safe First world like zones That's why And I'll say it again for the 100th time For new expats and fresh gringos anyway I always recommend the smaller towns in Latin America That are under 50,000 people Now I know some of you hard driving type A personalities up in the first world Might not be able to stand the pace But they do have everything they need Including great internet And a couple of hundred channels of cable if you want it Now as for first world style clubs and bars And discos and places to hang out And cultural things like live shows and plays and opera
[21:55] And orchestra The usual suspects Well you know there's always a certain percentage of artsy-fartsy types in every community But as for me I'm a simple guy with simple needs And I'll take Mo, Larry and Curly over ballet and opera any day And you know since so few gringos move to those small towns There's a world of opportunity there You've got a huge gringo advantage going As a matter of fact Last year one of my listeners moved to a small beach town in Honduras And opened up a first world style workout gym Why? Because there was no competition And I believe it cost him all of 5 grand to put the whole thing together And last I heard After being open only 3 months He was already making money Now you tell me
[22:42] Where could you do that in the States For even 10 times the cost? Oh and it's not to say he didn't have some competition Apparently there was one small gym Latin style owned by a local That was pretty disgusting You know equipment rusting And just third world all the way So our new gringo expat didn't reinvent the wheel He just took the wheel Polished it up and spun it faster If you know what I mean And it's true I know hundreds of examples of gringos making good like that And most of them never had to spend more than 10 grand To get their business on its feet Surely a fifth to a tenth of what it would cost To put it together up in the first world With none of that big brother first world style Government intervention or bullying And sure you'll have to go through the hoops
[23:27] And jump the hurdles of government down here But that's what your lawyer's for And if you're short of capital Here's something else you should know It's often possible that you can open your doors for business Before your paperwork, permissions and forms from the government Are even back in your hands signed, sealed and delivered Turns out as long as your paperwork is somehow grinding through the system And your lawyer can prove it That is he has the receipts Most times you'll be able to open your doors without a problem But let's get back to violence, safety and security I am not and never was a big advocate of living in a big city But as said before, every large city in Latin America Has some very nice districts and neighborhoods to choose from if you so desire And in many of my past shows I mentioned exactly how you can scout those nice places out
[24:16] And I specify all the steps you need to take To find out where not to locate yourself or your business So again, it's location, location, location And by the way, another reason to stay way off the gringo tourist trail Is that where gringos congregate there's always more crime Because the have and have not effect is so obvious It draws a lot of bad boys and con artists into the mix I mean, for example, a friend of mine just reported in from a vacation in Costa Rica His third time there and he told me He stayed in a four star hotel in San Jose And he said every single night he heard gunshots outside his window And he's been down here long enough to know the difference between gunshots and fireworks And then another new friend of mine who came to a recent seminar
[25:02] His idea was to do a solar energy business in Costa Rica Since he had a few friends there Gringo friends in the construction business that were supposed to help him out And he visited a few times and just got back a couple of weeks ago too And he tells me that every single gringo businessman he met there And he met quite a few in trying to establish some good contacts Everyone said they were being skinned by the government and by the Costa Rican people Whose main objective it seemed was to scam a gringo Now I lived in Costa Rica a long time ago 20 something years ago when the bubble was just starting to inflate there Before the gringo dollar virtually killed the gringo advantage And the word on the street at that time was that there was a lot less crime in Costa Rica
[25:50] Compared to the other countries in Latin America Which back then was certainly true The fact is way back when when I lived there There was a common saying on the street When asked about crime and violence People would say that if a clueless gringo was hitchhiking on a highway Which a lot of people did back then by the way If you got picked up by some bad boys They'd certainly rob you but they wouldn't kill you Just dump you off in the boonies somewhere And as the saying went Outside of Costa Rica In the rest of Latin America With the exception of maybe Chile If a clueless gringo was hitchhiking out the boonies And picked up by some bad boys He'd certainly get robbed and killed Well guess what 20 years has passed since then
[26:37] And now the word on the street in Costa Rica is That particular saying just doesn't exist anymore Now in my next show I'm going to do part 3 Of violence and crime in Latin America First let me leave you with this thought Like I said I've been down here well over 20 years now And I have my robbery stories too I was robbed twice And the last time that happened 18 years ago And you know me I get around So with all these scary stories that you might be hearing Is it just dumb luck or have I been getting smarter? Now let me just point this out On very short notice I could easily round up 20 or so long time expat friends and acquaintances of mine Who've never had a bit of trouble Save for maybe the cleaning lady stealing some spare change
[27:24] Or perhaps lifting a can of tuna from the pantry Now you tell me Could it be an extraordinary concentration of dumb luck? You've been listening to The Expat Files Living in Latin America Coming to you twice a week from somewhere south of the border Email me The Expat Files at gmail.com And don't forget to check out expatwisdom.com To sign up for your free reports on Latin America See you next time, nos vemos!