Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller provides an in-depth look at the challenges of living in Latin America, focusing on recent political and social developments in Bolivia and the safety concerns for expats. He highlights the economic struggles of Bolivia under President Evo Morales, the resulting public discontent, and the broader political landscape in Latin America. He also addresses the safety of expats by discussing gang violence in San Salvador and the importance of mapping out safe zones. The episode ends with Johnny expressing his personal views on Uruguay, criticizing its government and climate.
In a segment on the potential collapse of the first world, Johnny highlights the resilience of Latin American countries, noting that people there are accustomed to crises and can adapt by scaling down their lifestyles. He warns expats and newcomers about the risks of relying on industries tied to the first world, such as tourism and exporting, and advises them to consider living in smaller towns or rural areas rather than big cities. He also references the recent economic downturn in Uruguay, where the export fishing industry has been severely affected due to decreased demand from Europe, illustrating the vulnerability of Latin American economies to first-world economic shifts.
Johnny further discusses the disparity in military spending between Uruguay and other Latin American countries, suggesting that the high military expenditure is due to political leaders promising employment through government jobs. He highlights that Uruguay has a significantly larger military compared to countries like Guatemala, despite having a population five times larger. He also touches on the concept of creeping socialism in Latin America, noting that Uruguay is an exception with progressive policies such as legalizing marijuana and allowing gays to serve openly in the military. Johnny contrasts the cost of living in Latin America with the United States, pointing out that even those on low incomes in Latin America earn significantly more than the average wage in the U.S. He concludes by discussing the affordability of housing in Latin America, suggesting that building from scratch is more cost-effective than buying existing properties, which often require extensive repairs.
In a segment on common construction issues in Latin America, Johnny emphasizes the importance of hands-on experience over online research. He highlights the demand for professional building inspectors in the region, suggesting that first-world professionals could thrive by offering their expertise. The segment then shifts to a discussion about dating dynamics between first-world women and Latin men, where Johnny shares a personal anecdote about an expat woman who encountered multiple instances of infidelity among her Latin partners. He notes that despite being cheated on, many first-world women tend to return to these men, often due to their emotional manipulation and dramatic displays of remorse, such as shedding tears. Johnny concludes by cautioning first-world women against assuming they can change their Latin partners, drawing parallels to the dramatic portrayals in Latin American soap operas.
The podcast segment also discusses the cultural differences in handling arguments and domestic violence between Latin America and the United States. Johnny highlights that in many Latin American societies, it is common for men to assert dominance during arguments, sometimes resorting to physical violence, while in the U.S., women are more likely to prevail in such situations. He also touches on the experiences of expat women in Latin America, noting that they often adapt to and accept certain cultural norms, including the possibility of being physically abused by their partners.
Topics
Bolivia's economic and political challenges, Safety concerns for expats in Latin America, Gang violence in San Salvador, Johnny's personal views on Uruguay, First world collapse, Latin America's resilience to crises, Economic vulnerability of Latin American countries, Survival strategies for expats, Military capabilities of small countries, Military spending in Latin America, Political promises and employment in Latin America, Socialism and government jobs in Latin America
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:32 Overview of the Episode and the First News Item: Bolivia's Economic Crisis 00:02:33 Protests in Bolivia and the Political Climate in Latin America 00:04:25 Safety Advice for Expats: Gang Violence in San Salvador 00:06:02 Johnny's Personal Views on Uruguay and Its Government 00:06:40 The Vulnerability of the First World and Its Impact on Latin America 00:09:05 Three Main Things Expats Should Keep in Mind for the Next First World Collapse 00:10:18 Why Living in Smaller Towns is Better for Survival 00:12:13 Population and Military Spending Comparison 00:12:59 Government Jobs and Socialism in Latin America 00:14:20 Wage Comparison Between the U.S. and Latin America 00:15:29 Housing Affordability and Construction in Latin America 00:18:47 The Gringo Advantage in Construction Inspection 00:21:21 Infidelity Among Latin Men and Its Impact on First-World Women 00:23:00 Why First-World Women May Return to Cheating Latin Men 00:24:14 The Nature of Arguments in Latin America and Soap Operas 00:25:34 The Lack of Cooling-Off Periods in Latin American Arguments 00:26:46 Expat Women's Adaptation to Cultural Norms in Latin America
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 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, first before we get into finishing what we were talking about in the last show. Here's some Latin American news items I think you should know about starting with Bolivia, you know, President Evo Morales's socialist paradise
[00:46] Finance not by manufacturing or brainpower, but by oil and now that oil is down by over 50% by its historic high just about a year and a half ago Old Evo's government there is really hurting because you see he did what all governments do in good times They expand like cancer come to think of it in bad times. They expand like a cancer, too Anyway, the government now can't pay for the socialistic promises He made to the public regarding health and education etc. And of course jobs. Yep They always promised jobs now, don't they? Oh, they'll tell you they can create jobs All right, and they will by inventing new ones in the public government sector Which can only really be financed by stealing more tax revenue from people working real
[01:33] Productive jobs in the private sector and if you check the international news lately You'll see that people in Bolivia have taken to the streets in a big way now note that in Latin America People are always taking to the streets about something or another that can go to any capital city like for example La Paz, Bolivia head down to the main Central Park where all the government buildings are and you'll see people protesting all kinds of things and On any given day, it's usually no more than 50 or 100 people mulling around with their various complaints But it does no good the government's non-responsive and they really don't give a damn That is not until the crowds get so big and black so much traffic That the wives of the politicians and their bodyguards and entourages Can't make it to the health spa beauty parlor or the airport for that shopping trip to my jammy that day
[02:20] Turns out in Latin America. Anyway, the way to really get things done is to piss off a politician's wife or mistress Talk about big crowds Protesting these days you'll notice that in some capital cities in Latin America Tens if not hundreds of thousands of people are taking to the streets as is the recent case in La Paz, Bolivia Protesting against amongst other things the virtual dictatorship of evil Morales because you see in spite of his socialist promises He's clamped down on freedom of speech has censored the media closed down some newspapers Thrown some journalists and opponents in jail and of course raise taxes Anyway, now that oil prices are in the dumpster his golden goose has laid a few smelly rotten eggs And that's why in a very recent poll taken by Bolivia's biggest University shows that 56% of Bolivianos
[03:11] Completely reject evil Morales's socialist government and his bid to run for a third presidential term now The same poll showed that only 40% of Bolivianos would vote for him if he did run for a third term Now note that in every single Latin American country, it's Chicago style politics as usual So if Evo runs no matter what he'll win. Okay now more Latin news This comes from San Salvador You know that tiny little central American country of just a few million whose number one export to the first world is that notorious gang? The Salvatruchas. Yes, those Salvatruchas are vastly Overrepresented in places like LA Chicago, New York and the US prison system
[03:57] Anyway in recent news this week in San Salvador according to law enforcement statistics Salvadorian gangs in Salvador commit the vast majority of homicides no surprise there But here's the part you have to let sink in 90% of the victims of these homicides are members of these gang land and criminal structures With 90% of those crimes committed in established body owes and neighborhoods Infiltrated by those gangs. That's the part that should make all the difference to expat gonna bees and wannabes That's why it's highly recommended when you land in any city in Latin America big or small to get a very detailed map of the zones And neighborhoods then with the help of a taxi driver or someone at that tourist information booth at the airport or even the guy
[04:45] At their Hertz rental booth you mark off all the iffy and bad areas from then on you just stick to the safer better zones And as I mentioned in past shows Even in those Latin American cities that get terribly bad press in what might be considered war zones Based on what you may have read or seen about them in the first world media that said even in so-called Dangerous cities like San Salvador Guatemala City, Tagusi, Galpa, San Pedro, Sula, Honduras, Lima, Peru Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Brazil and on and on in fact you can name about 20 Latin cities or more that are on the US State Departments blacklist however if you map them out in districts and have a local person help you you'll find half Maybe even three-quarters of the neighborhoods and zones totally fine and safe to live work play and or retire
[05:35] Of course in any big city you have to keep your eyes open and be on your guard I mean come on. It's hardly fair to say that you should cross Latin American cities off your list because they're dangerous when the Pickpocket capital of the world is guess where? Vatican City, Italy go ahead look it up and now a little news out of Uruguay people like Uruguay I get emails about it all the time emails from people who've never lived there of course Now as for me, I'm not a big fan of Uruguay for a lot of reasons one It's got four seasons, and I don't like cold and two the government there is like a cancer What government isn't huh and about 25% of the working public has a job in government meaning about one out of four workers Is a worthless?
[06:21] Pustulant pinheaded parasite and again, I mean that in the kindest way now You know I get emails all the time from people asking me What's gonna happen to Latin America when the first world finally crashes and burns? You know whether it's derivatives war hackers bringing on the internet a really major terrorist incident a solar mass ejection Another Fukushima. I mean there are now count them 12 tipping points any of which can trigger a gigantic first world collapse So then what happens to the third world Latin America and those of us green goes living in it Well like I've said in past shows the common middle class and lower middle class people will just grow more tomatoes and hatch a few More driveway chickens because you know they're not cooking with electricity or gas. They're cutting wood. Yes fully 50% of Latin Americans
[07:08] Cook with firewood and of course that's inefficient and nasty and contributes heavily to deforestation But that's the way it is so a big-time first world collapse Well, that's not gonna affect the firewood supply now Is it nor are the driveway chickens gonna give a rip oh and by the way 80 to 90 percent of Latin Americans do not? Have air conditioning nor central heating either So then when the first world does hit the skids who will take a hit in Latin America? Well people who have jobs working in the export industry I mean exporting to the first world for example just this week It's all over the news down here in Latin America. You probably didn't get it turns out the secondary effect of the recent big financial Problems in the EU that's Europe have forced much of the export fishing industry in little Uruguay to crash and burn
[08:00] Now Uruguay is a country of 3 million people That's about half the population of the greater Chicago area by the way So just in the last few weeks 2000 Uruguay workers in the export fish packing and shipping industry have been fired or permanently laid off Why because Europe is crashing and burning and they're no longer buying those imports And that's what's gonna happen to the exporters everywhere in Latin America. For example tiny Uruguay now has official government unemployment figures of around seven and a half percent and if you believe that Non-governmental economists on the ground there are saying that it's more like 20% sound familiar as usual The worst things get the more governments lie so there's two things expats gonna bees and wannabes have to look out for when the next big first world economic crisis arrives and
[08:51] When's that gonna be exactly? Well, I left my crystal ball in the other apartment So can't tell you right now But many many folks in the know that I've been talking too lately say it's gonna happen within the next two years All we know for sure is that it's gonna happen That said there are three main things that I think expats expect wannabes and gonna bees should keep in mind When that next first world collapse does come and you're hopefully living down here in Latin America You don't want to be dependent on the tourism industry. That's for sure Because that's the last thing people in crisis are gonna do go on vacation Second when you're down here in Latin America You don't want to be depending for your livelihood on exporting things to the first world Unless of course you found yourself a nice little niche and your product is recession slash depression slash inflation proof
[09:40] Therefore gonna bees and wannabes. It's a good idea to try to market to the local lens And finally, I don't recommend that expats gonna bees and wannabes live in any big Latin American city A city over 50 or 100,000 let's say why because you know or at least you've heard of what can happen in big cities when the power And the water go out. What do you do then? And what do you do if you live in a high-rise or gated community and you've got no yard or garden? You have to depend on the local stores and markets, right? And even if you think you can get there chances are in a crisis like that You won't be able to depend on private or public transportation. That's why I always recommend you live in a smaller town 50,000 or under or 10 15 20 even 25 miles outside of a big city So that if chaos rains or rules for a while in those big cities
[10:27] You'll have a nice buffer and be a half an hour to an hour or so away Even so like I've always said you're better off down here when that hits the fan Why because down here people are used to it things have hit the fan here in Latin America many times in the last few generations So people can and do scale down and go into a different mode even in a severe crisis They know how to survive mostly peacefully whereas for example in the United States They've had their very short-term momentary disasters like Katrina and Mitch But it's always been an isolated area and never has the whole United States been affected Even Katrina only involved small parts of three or four states and of course people who live on the Gulf Coast know what to do and know exactly how to
[11:14] Handle when a hurricanes on its way. They're used to it It's happened many times So they just switch into hurricane mode and down here in Latin America when there's an earthquake when the power goes out When there's an economic collapse and the country goes bankrupt like for example Argentina dies about every 10 years The average citizen might not like it, but they know what to do. They don't panic much They just scaled down and go into the appropriate survival mode. So let me ask you listeners up there in Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Cleveland What's your survival mode? And when's the last time you practiced it? I'll bet never well You're gonna get your chance and probably pretty soon Oh and a couple more things if you're thinking about moving to a little Uruguay now, remember what I said It's a country of about three million or so, but yet they've got an armed forces. That's Army Navy Air Force of
[12:04] 20,000 people so you're thinking who cares? Well, remember this let's take Guatemala involved in a big-time Civil War Not too long ago. It's got a population of about 16 million people exactly five times the population of Uruguay and guess what they have an armed forces of 20,000 men too. So there you have it do the numbers Uruguay with a fifth as many people has the same size army What's that all about? Who's gonna attack Uruguay Argentina Brazil? Paraguay, in fact is anyone ever attacked Uruguay or even threatened to I don't think so So why do they need to spend five times as much per capita on their military as Guatemala? Well, it's all about how those Latin American political dickheads promise employment
[12:53] Why not when those hayseed farm boys come to the big city looking for work and there ain't none There is always the army now every rational person knows government cannot create real jobs and productive employment It can only steal money via taxes from real productive workers to create makeshift jobs so then why do you think one in four Uruguayans work for government and in the case of Nicaragua Guatemala Honduras Salvador Peru and Paraguay only about one in 15 people work for government It's called creeping socialism my friends and in fact in a lot of countries in Latin America. It's galloping Oh and one more thing about Uruguay some say it's a very liberal and progressive socialist country
[13:39] For example with the recent legalization of marijuana there, but that's not all in 2009 They passed a law allowing gays to serve openly in the military and so far It's the only Latin country that allows those two things and here's another thing I'm sure you certainly didn't know every year the US government gives Uruguay a Multi-million dollar package to support the Uruguay military. Why are we not surprised, huh? So you have to ask yourself why is that and what does the US government get out of it? So there's a few things I just thought you might like to know. Oh, and here's something of interest everyone over 50 I guess according to the United States Social Security Department The average wage after taxes in the US is twenty eight thousand dollars a year
[14:25] Meaning half the people in the US make less than 28k All that really means is for the average American to continue to live a first-world life He or she'll just have to move out of the states to some third world country Like for example off the gringo tourist trail in Latin America where the average yearly income is anywhere from 3,500 to maybe 6,000 a year So no matter how you look at it Even if you're on a crappy Social Security check making 17 or 18 grand a year You're still making at least three times the average wage in Latin America Meaning as long as you're in the 95% of Latin America, that's off the gringo tourist trail You'll be living first world all the way. Oh, and by the way, a recent Gallup poll shows now that
[15:13] 88% of Americans interviewed think the American dream is dead. Meanwhile down here in Latin America 99% of Latins interviewed say the American dream is alive and well and can be found in all its glory in my jammy Where else huh? Okay about the low cost of living in Latin America. Let's talk a bit about housing That's a question I get asked all the time people say Johnny Look if you really can't count on Latins to build things to first world standards Unless you're looking over their shoulder all the time That would logically mean you'd want to build instead of buy because you're just buying someone else's Problems as they say so then what if you do get a tremendous deal on an existing house and you find out later
[15:58] You got to do all kinds of heavy-duty repairs and change a lot of things because well Like you say Latin is just aren't into the details So then why not build from scratch and get it right first world, right? Even if like you say there's a bubble and when it explodes You'll be able to get a lot of these houses at 50 cents on the dollar or even less Still people write me saying who cares about the bubble. Why not just build with all that cheap labor down there You should be able to build for 50 cents or less on the dollar Versus buying outright and in doing so get first world quality and exactly what you want So then why wait for the bubble to burst just get some land and build now So yes I do get questions like that all the time and a good way to answer that question is to repeat what happened at my last
[16:44] Expat wisdom seminar in July during one of those seminar days I took my little group to see two model houses very modern model houses that were for sale and My little seminar group was duly impressed especially at the price now the smaller house Which was 1500 square feet was a nice little two-bedroom place on one floor the builder had priced at? 80,000 bucks now the other house a three-bedroom place with a big loft was about 1800 square feet and the builder was offering that at a hundred grand Again, you supply the lot anywhere in Central America, and they'd build it for that price But I know that all you'd have to do is take a few choice photos Locate your own architecture builder, and you could build that $80,000 house for about
[17:31] 50,000 and you could build that $100,000 house the 1800 square foot one for around 70,000 and believe me if you're not into the Grand Mansion style of living that is if you're like so many expats and are into Simplifying and scaling down as it should be many older Americans might consider any of these two houses the retirement home of their dreams Now I know what it's like up in the states people talk Especially in the big city markets like Chicago New York Houston for 50 grand you might be able to get the outhouse of your dreams In your preferred ghetto, but not much more now admittedly when our seminar group was going through these houses Which were brand-new model homes like I said a few of the attendees did spot your typical Latin errors
[18:18] You know details details doors not set quite right or swing in the wrong way a flat or improperly pitched roof which you know Will inevitably invite future water problems things like that But you see those are the things you and I will pick up on right away before you build a house like that Details you can easily correct with the builder before he even gets started now admittedly these were pristine model homes And those kind of defects should never have existed However, this is Latin America, and well. That's why you have the gringo advantage, and they don't anyway like I said You have to come down here and see these things for yourself No amount of blogging or searching on the net is going to get you that kind of hands-on experience Oh, and by the way at the last seminar in attendance was a professional building inspector from the states
[19:07] And he was commenting and making his mental list of all those errors and defects We were seeing as we were going through Latin buildings in construction sites in fact We discussed how a guy like him would be in great demand down here in Latin America All he'd have to do would be to advertise himself as a first-world professional building and construction supervisor Inspector Advertising that he would be available to review plans and finished and partially finished structures My bet is his phone would never stop ringing because you see Everyone knows that buildings in time have construction problems and boy could they use that gringo seal of approval? They bring what vantage again course you have to learn how to speak Spanish, but again details details
[19:56] It works both ways okay switching gears now back to the subject. We never finished in last week's show We're talking about the ever-popular and controversial subject of mating dating and romance in Latin America If you recall in the last show we were talking about when first-world gringo men hook up with Latin American ladies So then what about the opposite case first world gringo ladies hooking up with Latin men now we've spoken about that before in past shows and I've actually been hammered a few times in emails by certain ladies who think I just Might be exaggerating about the state of machoism down here in Latin America as it pertains to first world Ladies that come down in search of romance love and mating and dating well as it happens just a few weeks ago I went to a party where there happened to be a lot of short and long term expats hanging around
[20:46] Quite a few of them by the way who'd been to an expat wisdom seminar and now we're living in Latin America for good Anyway, I ran into one expat lady who came down here with her husband about three years ago They were at one of my earliest expat wisdom seminars and decided to live down here in Latin America right after that Anyway, we hadn't run into each other for almost a year and a half and when we got to talking she said Johnny You know what you're so right I've been down here three years now and I've gotten to know quite a few North American gringos down here now Who eventually hooked up with a Latin guy boyfriend or husband? Whatever and the fact is she said Johnny every one of these girls was cheated on by her Latin other half No exception. She said eventually every Latin guy cheats. Nope. It doesn't matter if he's got the gringa girl of his dreams
[21:36] I mean, they all dream of having a first world gringa girlfriend or wife that is every Latin males fantasy But that's not all not only did she say that all these Latin guys have cheated on their gringa girlfriends or husbands She also admitted surprisingly enough these first world gringa ladies inevitably ended up going back to these guys Even after getting caught red-handed they return to these cheating guys now, of course I've been down here 25 or so years and I know a lot of Latin guys Who hooked up with first world gringa ladies and I see how these guys have that charming Latin lover thing down to an art and they've also Got that weepy crocodile tear thing down to an art too It's the fallback position when they get caught and it really works for them I'm telling you these guys can break into a Hollywood style tear jag on cue and as most first world women will tell you
[22:27] It's highly unusual to see a real man cry. It's something you just don't see much in a first world hetero man There's only really three times when a first world guy will cry one When he's passing a kidney stone to if he's kicked square in the balls and three at his mother's funeral And that's just a maybe so the fact that Latin guys can turn on the tear ducts at will well I can tell you I've seen it for myself. There's nothing that impacts or softens a first world ladies heart more Even though it's a hundred percent BS That's why I believe first world ladies down here in Latin America who have been wronged will break their own first world rules Soften up a bit and take that good-looking whining faker back now I know what you first world ladies in Portland and Cleveland are thinking a guy cheats. No way it's over
[23:17] I'm cutting him off That's what they all say until they get down here and hook up with their own personal suave Antonio Bond that is a guy by the way who can dance infinitely better drunk than any of the guys gay or straight that you went out with back in the states I mean, how else can you explain the fact that even strong? Liberated first world gringas will take these guys back after they've been caught cheating. I know I know ladies You're saying that'll never happen to me. I'll find my Latin pretty boy and whip him in the shape. I'll make the rules Yeah, right But remember the biggest mistake you can make in a relationship is to think that you're the one that can change the other person now if you doubt me just take your TV remote and flick to the nearest Latin American soap opera channel and
[24:04] Count how many times an hour a guy cries after he's been caught cheating Then count how many times the woman takes him back now don't get me wrong when there's that kind of confrontation The woman does not take the guy back without a fight in the soap operas that Telly novellas anyway She'll punch him or stab him or beat him with a frying pan, but she does take him back now expatty He says the key to a successful relationship is the ability to enjoy a good argument now note Generally in macho Latin societies when there's an argument the man always wins or at least the woman lets him think he's won Lest her persistence turned to violence on his part and in most cases down here Latin America There's no legal recourse when a woman gets her butt whooped now as
[24:50] Politically incorrect as this sounds most Latin guys will tell you especially guys over 40 That's all part of being married having to occasionally discipline your wife However up in the states as we know it's quite different when a married or romantically involved couple gets into an argument It's usually the woman that wins since most men reasonable men anyway No There comes a time in any argument that it's time to give up and let her walk away with the trophy Lest one suffer the rest of the week on the couch here in the doghouse in fact one expat I know a retired psychologist He once told me that up in the states when there's a fight often when it escalates There's quite a lot of door slamming going on and eventually someone walks out however down here in Latin America He says it's very rare to have a door slamming cooling off period like that turns out down here when an argument escalates
[25:42] It usually ends with the guy smacking the woman around now You'd think that would only happen with the under educated lower and middle classes But it pervades through all classes now that said a few times I've tried to bring up that subject to a first world expat gringa down here who's either married to or had been going out With Latin men now. I know talking about something like that could be walking into some forbidden territory I mean who wants to admit their other have been smacking them around however I do get the feeling by their reactions that gringas occasionally get walloped to now remember up in the first world if you ask a Woman that question she'll say what if a guy ever hit me that it'd be the end however When I've touched on that subject down here in Latin America the way first world gringas down here
[26:29] Admit to openly bending their own rules and standards especially after dating Latin guys for a while I do get the feeling that a lot of these first world ladies just grin and bear it in fact Just recently one good-looking gringa lady who's been down here for five years now She told me that first thing that most first world gringas down here realize once they start dating Latin guys is how much they're willing To lie to you. She said for one thing never believe a good-looking young latin guy when he says he isn't married Doesn't have any kids and or doesn't have a girlfriend. She says no hot young latin guy is unattached Besides being married. He just might be juggling two or three other relationships on the side It's just a big game of conquest for them
[27:17] She says that was one of the first lessons in Latin romance She learned when she first got down here if he's young and good-looking. He'll always claim. He's free and unattached Meanwhile guys like that have a lot of baggage. They're never ever gonna tell you about south of the border 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 Don't forget to check out expat wisdom calm to sign up for your free reports on Latin America. See you next time nos vemos