Episode Summary
In this episode, Johnny Mueller discusses the phenomenon of street protests, or 'Huelga,' in Latin America. He explains that these protests are common and often involve large crowds, sometimes blocking traffic. He attributes this to the fact that a significant portion of the population does not have formal jobs and may not have the security to strike. Johnny also comments on the political landscape, suggesting that politicians often make empty promises, leading to public frustration and protests. He humorously compares Latin American politicians to figures like Maxine Waters and Benjamin Franklin, noting that they often do not age and are not held accountable. Johnny contrasts the nature of protests in Latin America with those in the United States, suggesting that Latin American protests are more like social events than serious political actions. He further discusses the role of public universities in Latin America, highlighting their lack of resources despite being free, and how this leads to student protests.
In this segment, Johnny Mueller discusses the contrast between public and private universities in Latin America, highlighting the underfunding of public institutions and the relative prosperity of private ones. He notes that students at public universities often protest due to systemic issues, while private university students rarely do so because they are insulated from the problems. He also provides examples of private universities like the University of Francisco Marroquin (UFM), which is expensive, highly selective, and has strong international ties, such as an agreement with Harvard Medical School. Johnny criticizes the effectiveness of protests in Latin America, suggesting that some are organized by foreign do-gooders who may not fully understand the local context.
In this segment, Johnny Mueller critiques the so-called charitable organizations, arguing that they are often money-making machines that exploit the goodwill of college-aged volunteers. He warns against donating to such organizations, especially those that advertise on mass media, and instead advocates for direct donations to individuals in need. He then shifts to discussing the impact of strikes and protests, particularly 'huelgas,' which he claims are ineffective and primarily inconvenience the average person while having no real impact on politicians. He suggests more direct and targeted protest methods, such as targeting the homes of politicians, to achieve real change. Finally, he addresses the perception of protests in Latin America, noting that while most are peaceful, they are often misrepresented in the media, leading to exaggerated fears. He concludes by stating that every government in Latin America is corrupt and criticizes the naivety of some Latin Americans who believe their governments are similar to the U.S. government.
Johnny Mueller discusses the perception of corruption in Latin America, contrasting it with the United States. He highlights that while many Latin Americans trust their governments and believe in their systems, the reality is that corruption is widespread and often more accessible to the wealthy. Johnny uses examples of bribery and political scandals, such as the case of former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, to illustrate the depth of corruption in the region. He also comments on the absurdity of the bail amount requested by Toledo, emphasizing the disparity between the scale of corruption and the average citizen's income.
The podcast segment discusses the widespread political corruption in Latin America, highlighting cases of former and current leaders facing legal issues, including house arrest, imprisonment, and fugitive status. Johnny Mueller comments on the situation, noting that while corruption is rampant, expats and gringos are generally not affected unless they are dealing with socialist regimes like Cuba, Venezuela, or Nicaragua. The segment also includes an email from a listener, JJ, who shares personal experiences and opinions on the topic, emphasizing that while corruption is a major issue, it doesn't directly impact most expats unless they are in certain countries or situations.
This segment is part of a promotional message from the podcast 'The Expat Files' hosted by Johnny Mueller. It is a call to action for listeners interested in expat planning and personal development. Johnny encourages listeners to reach out for one-on-one consultations and to join a waiting list for an upcoming seminar in Central America, promising a significant advantage in their expat planning. The tone is direct and persuasive, emphasizing the benefits of taking proactive steps in expat life.
Topics
Protests in Latin America, Political landscape, Public universities in Latin America, Public vs. private universities in Latin America, Underfunding of public institutions, Privilege and insulation in private education, Criticism of protest movements and foreign involvement, The role of international institutions like Harvard in Latin American education, Charitable organizations, Protests and strikes, Media representation of protests, Corruption in Latin American governments
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:31 Introduction to Huelga and Protests in Latin America 00:01:02 Reasons Behind Protests and Political Frustrations 00:02:13 Commentary on Politicians and Voting Behavior 00:03:17 Nature of Protests and Public Sentiment 00:04:51 State of Public Universities in Latin America 00:06:13 Underfunding of Public Universities and Government Corruption 00:07:40 Contrast Between Public and Private Universities in Latin America 00:10:19 Criticism of Protests and Foreign Involvement in Indigenous Areas 00:11:08 Critique of Charitable Organizations 00:11:52 Discussion of Strikes and Protests 00:13:33 Fear of Protests for Expats 00:15:26 Corruption in Latin American Governments 00:16:25 Trust in Government and Corruption Perception in Latin America 00:16:47 Belief in Transplanting U.S. Government System to Cure Corruption 00:17:14 Contrast Between Corruption in Latin America and the U.S. 00:19:51 Case of Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo and Bribery Charges 00:20:37 Absurdity of Bail Amount Requested by Toledo 00:21:52 Corruption and Legal Issues in Latin America 00:22:48 Comparing Corruption Levels in Latin America to the US 00:27:10 Expats and the Impact of Political Corruption 00:27:26 Introduction to the Expat Files and Johnny Mueller's Expertise 00:27:33 Audience Engagement and Call to Action 00:27:36 Offering One-on-One Consultations 00:27:41 Providing Contact Information for Consultations 00:27:44 Promoting the Upcoming Seminar 00:27:50 Highlighting the Benefits of the Seminar 00:27:54 Reinforcing Contact Information for the Seminar
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 as I wonder Hello there all you ex-pat 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, a couple of loose ends to tie up from the last show, you know, I mentioned that word Huelga It's spelled H-u-e-l-g-a Huelga, which means street protest or strike now Let me tell you I don't think I've ever been in a medium or large-sized Latin City for a day
[00:48] You know driving around where I haven't seen at least one or two of these things Could be just a small group of people standing around with signs in a Central Park Could be a giant one where you've got hundred two hundred five hundred a thousand people blocking roads and stopping traffic for hours and hours So what's that all about and what the hell they protesting for all the time should gringos and expats be worried Well for one thing you have to consider that throughout Latin America a lot of the adult Population and young adult population have tons of time on their hands because a huge segment of the population does not have a formal job Oh, they work. All right part-time or in kiosks and stuff But they're not punching the clock because I assure you the people punch in a clock like for example working in some of these clothing Makilas, they're not gonna have it. Well, they're not gonna go on strike because they won't have a job the next day
[01:33] But there is the odd case that even the Makila workers will go on strike if they've been fighting for some kind of minimum wage increase or some politicians promise them some minimum wage increase and once he's Been elected nothing happens as usual and they realize he's just a big BS er and they get all pissed off And then they take to the streets and block traffic. Wow, you mean that can happen You think insert lunatic laugh track here speaking of lunatics You know who's a poster child for a spit bubble and mental midget politician who's advanced way beyond the Peter principle Maxine Waters talk about two brain cells firing between a spirochete But then again even old Benjamin Franklin one said you get the politicians you deserve no one puts him in office
[02:19] But you which is the main reason I don't vote but you know all is not lost There does seem to be some kind of karma with career politicians. I mean they do not age Well, especially being president man that puts about 20 years on a person after one year in office Look at Obama and Bush and Bill Clinton man. He's a walking skeleton. Have you seen that mug lately? Saw a close-up of him the other day looks like he's done more blow than Scarface But I digress we were talking about well guys now the truth is Latin Americans love to protest They'll go on a well gun at the drop of a hat and it seems to be a social event with them, too Hey, let's have a well guys party time I mean look I've walked through some of these picketing crowds during the peaks of some of these protests They're more like tailgate parties than what they're really supposed to be
[03:07] Serious get-togethers designed to throw the bombs out You know as compared to strikes and sit-ins up in the states The people in the well guys here in Latin America are not all that pissed off Mostly they just seem to be having some fun though. Of course, there are exceptions now You know how it's always claimed that Latin Americans are the happiest people in the world Well, they're damn happy even when they're protesting. However, if you ask me, I really think they're doing it all wrong I'd say 90% of all the protests are done in the Central Park where all the government buildings are which does absolutely No good at all. It's useless just like it is in the states specifically, Washington, DC there are always camera crews around the White House and the Capitol building filming a constant flow of picketers and protesters and Sometimes if you look at the footage, you'll see some of the same people over and over
[03:56] They seem to live for that stuff for some it's a job and some people even get paid for it You've heard about the George Soros connection and the magazine and newspaper ads Advertising for protesters. Hey, it's a good gig for college kids and out-of-work actors, which is 99% of them Good practice good drama, especially for the actors, you know Sometimes I can't help but think back on the 30 years it's been since I've come to Latin America I'm thinking that you guys live in a completely different alien world than the one I left and it always ends with me thinking man How did I get so lucky to end up down here? Sorry if I keep saying that but man no truer words were ever spoken Wait a minute. Where were we? Oh, yeah. Here's another thing that's interesting about protesters in Latin America You've heard me talk about Latin American universities how every Latin country has its own public university system
[04:47] Yes, they have private ones too, but the public ones They're totally broke systems just like the country's national health and social security systems, too Why because governments are running them they're really corrupt governments Are there any other kind but just like with the national health care systems here in Latin America? The public university systems are virtually free sort of like what burnt Bernie wants for kids up in the States Though we all know nothing is for nothing and government institutions are heavily subsidized Still you can't break the immutable law that says you get what you pay for even with the expat file show The truth is that enrollments are massive at public universities in Latin America cuz they're free But the buildings are dilapidated the grounds and ugly mess and the bathroom suck not to mention the computer and science labs are missing vital equipment
[05:37] There's practically nothing about public universities in Latin America that doesn't suck except the price So those public university students have a thousand and one reasons to have a well guy and man Do they have their well guys? However, it doesn't make much sense. They're biting the hand that feeds them I remember my mother used to say never complain about something you got for nothing. Don't complain go out and find something better and buy it Anyway, I've been to the campuses of some of these universities They're massive and they're massively ugly and they have massive well guys all the time Of course, nothing ever changes neither do the reasons for the well guy Number one is that the schools are underfunded because the government's corrupt like that's some sort of news However, when you're talking about private universities in Latin America, and I'd say in every medium-large Latin City
[06:25] There's five or ten of them. Well, it's amazing to check out their campuses They appear to be first world all the way the buildings are nice. The bathroom works The power is on the labs are well equipped, etc Etc, and guess what surprise surprise you take a walk through one of those campuses and nobody's protesting sure once in a while There'll be a kid or two handing out pamphlets about this or that Often it's some kind of announcement something like oh, yeah Listen up come on down to the big rally tomorrow in the Central Park You know because that's where the big tailgate party is and we can protest our corrupt government at the same time. Hey, count me in So then why are they protesting all the time at the public universities and at the private ones? There's almost no action like that at all Why because the students have very little to complain about they know their governments are corrupt and they completely suck
[07:12] But it almost never affects them because they're going to a private school besides that a lot of them Especially those going to the more expensive private schools are living in the kind of bubble You know gated guarded communities sometimes with bodyguards trips to my jammy shopping. Oh, and here's another surprise Sometimes their own fathers uncles and other relatives are part of the problem They've got malignant family members working at high levels of government. How do you think they can afford private schools like that? Oh, and just to give you a little idea of numbers here For example in Guatemala City, there is a big public university called USAC University of San Carlos It has over a hundred thousand students I've been there It's a huge rundown dilapidated campus that I would never admit to if I ever went there As opposed to for example the very best private university in guadamal
[07:59] In fact in polls that have been taken throughout latin america. It often comes in at number one First off when you step foot on the campus, you can't believe how beautiful it is But you have to remember it's also the most expensive private university too tuition is about five thousand bucks a year Which is like a cheap state school up where you come from But for latin america, it's very expensive when you consider the cost of living down here and what people make So only the top one percent of latin families can afford to send their kids there and they've only got around two thousand students Think about it. That's one fiftieth the enrollment of the gigantic university. That's public who sec by the way that university ufm university of francisco marroquin is the only 100 libertarian university in the whole world
[08:46] In fact when you walk in they've got a gigantic sculpture of atlas shrugging Like that. Oh, and you know who's a professor at ufm the famous bitcoin dan He was the very first person in the world to teach a semester long cryptocurrency in bitcoin class and it was at ufm Here's another amazing fact ufm will take absolutely no government money or government grants They want to be beholden to no political party or politician. That's part of their written policy Oh, and while we're at it. Here's another very interesting part of their policy You won't believe this if you graduate with an md from the medical school at ufm university of francisco marroquin They've got an agreement with harvard medical school in that you're automatically guaranteed entrance Into a harvard medical school specialty program at harvard medical school up in the states
[09:36] It's virtually automatic if you want to do a specialty you're in Oh, and it's not to say harvard is to be all and end all it certainly is a nesting ground for a future thieving Lared-ass politicians and bureaucrats up in the states, but we're talking about the medical school here. That's top notch It's always in the top 10. So is their business school However, as far as journalism polysci and economics some more rational minds think the world would be better off if they were nuked But we were talking about huelgas, right? Now here's the thing that drives me nuts about latin american huelgas The idiots that organize these things and by the way, there are many do-gooders from up in the states Have come down specifically to rile up the locals and get them to start protesting It's especially a common problem When we're talking about indigenous areas and areas way out in the boonies where companies have mining and mineral resource rights and power generation stations
[10:27] It always strikes me as ironic when i'm watching the news and I see a bunch of poor indigenous people way out in the boonies Picketing around machines that are breaking ground for a power plant and most often They're hydroelectric power plants, too You know renewable energy and somehow you always see a couple of pale white gringos kind of mulling around and huddling with them Man, do those do-gooders stick out like sore thumbs? Hey, don't get me wrong I'm all for protecting the environment and stopping some of these industries from destroying the countryside and polluting the water etc But when you see a bunch of indigenous people Protesting the groundbreaking of a power plant when electric power is exactly what's going to bring them into the 21st century Well, I don't get it, but you know, every do-gooder has a cause Unfortunately, a lot of the do-gooders, especially the college-aged ones are part of a so-called charitable organization
[11:15] Which is actually a money-making machine For the guys on the board of directors and the higher-ups and they the college kids are so happy to get that moment's pleasure from helping People they don't realize there's a bigger scam going down right in the bowels of their own organization But you knew that already, right? I mean look at the scandals in the united way red cross and on and on That's why I always say you should never give a stinking dime to any charitable organization Especially if it's advertising on mass media like tv By all means give but give it directly to the person in need I'm talking about the guy that needs a new pair of shoes the kid that needs a computer or a bike But we were talking about strikes and walgus, right? Anyway, the thing I really hate about huelgas is that generally all they really end up doing is screwing up traffic
[12:00] Sometimes for hours and hours and all that does is pissed off the average person who's trying to go to school or get to work In the end, it has no effect on the stinking lard ass politicians at all Because if there's some kind of traffic blockage, they can see that on the news They'll have advanced warning it'll be on their smartphone apps too like ways So they'll have a plan they won't go down to their plush offices in the government district They'll stay home or head out to the beach house It's the common guy taking his car or the chicken bus trying to get somewhere who always suffers Now it's always been my contention that these protesters and organizers of the protests are complete clueless idiots, too Going about the thing in all the wrong ways now if I was organized in a huelga things would be completely different I do a little homework find out where all the congressmen live with their wives, you know the main house
[12:48] Not the house or apartment where their mistresses are holed up But their main house the one they live in with their wives and kids then i'd get my picketers there Very early in the morning like five set up a thick perimeter right in front of the front door and driveway door Because you can be certain if the pus bag and questions wife Can't make it out to the health club shopping mall or beauty parlor She's going to unleash all hell on her husband Which is probably the only way to get these guys to do anything aside from the gentle art of graft So that's what I do But that's just me another option would be to follow the bag's wife to the beauty parlor and then set up the picketers outside The beauty parlor put a dent in that business then I guarantee you results will soon follow Damn if I was just king for one day All right. One last word about welgas. The question is should gringos and expats be afraid
[13:39] For example, you might be watching the six o'clock news. I doubt it because it's managed But let's suppose you're watching it and the news lady with the impossible hourglass figure Announces that the teachers or chicken bus drivers or whoever's planning a welga for tomorrow and they tell you the streets where they're planning on hanging out Well, it's something to think about right? Should you be worried if you're going to be in the area? Will there be tear gas? Will there be violence? How about rubber bullets? Ouch Well, the truth is there's almost never violence force or tear gas. That's like a one in a thousand shot Meaning ninety nine point nine percent of all welgas are totally peaceful Problem is you don't want to be around the area because the traffic is going to be terrible So when there's a welga, don't worry about physical harm or fear Worry about the traffic. However, you know what they say in the states if it bleeds it leads
[14:27] So sometimes when you're watching the six o'clock news up in Milwaukee You'll see some kind of latin american protests with burning tires tear gas troops with helmets billy clubs and shields That's why people stateside almost always think when there's some kind of protest in latin america It's like a scene from bay root and people are getting mowed down left and right A lot of cocktails are flying that almost never happens except in those certain very few countries That are on the brink of chaos and martial law like venezuela Nicaragua we've talked about that and now just recently history is repeating itself in argentina and that country's monetary system's falling apart Though protests there have not become violent yet. In any case, I would not want to be living in argentina right now And as for doug casey and his big expensive development there it's called la stancia
[15:16] Well in the famous words of agent 86 Sorry about that chief Well, you can count on one thing argentina won't be the next costa rica, but it just might be the next venezuela Now you might ask is every single government in latin america totally corrupt the answer that is absolutely You know, I was having a little discussion about that very thing with a fairly intelligent 30 something latin guy He was a proud guy with a couple of fancy framed gilded liberal arts degrees hanging on the living room wall And of course that only qualifies you to fill out an application at starbucks these days Still he showed me how clueless even educated latinos can be when he said If only my government was like the us government I know you guys have donald trump and you have a lot of problems But your government works and I said man, what planet are you living on? Where do you get your news?
[16:04] But you see it's not about what kind of news they get it's all about a stereotype They sort of think of the us government as how our parents thought about the us government back in the days of canady Or eisenhower sure there was some corruption back then in the states There always was but there were many many more honorable people it seems and back then Practically everyone liked their government or at least were neutral about it and didn't say nasty things They were patriotic on top of that. They trusted their government. They truly believed government press releases and waltzer kronkite Well, that mindset is still the attitude that most latinos have about the us Even the smart ones down here actually think if they could transplant the us government system for theirs That would cure corruption and be the engine to take them from third to first world status
[16:53] Again, I can only say what planet are they living on? By the way that conversation ended with me saying, you know I much prefer your corrupt government over my corrupt government because you see down here Everybody knows your government's corrupt and they know who they can pay off and the payoffs are small nickels and dimes compared to the payoffs that are happening up in the first world He said come on. I don't believe it. You can't pay off the cops or government officials in the united states I said, yeah, right you pull out a 20 or a 50 and hand it to a state patrol cop you're going to jail But if you were to donate a hundred grand to some senator's reelection campaign And all you asked for in return was a west point appointment for your useless kid or maybe a no bid contract for your business Well, it's what you call pay for play ask hillary. In other words here in latin america
[17:40] You've got nickel and dime corruption everywhere up in the states It's a completely different kind of corruption and only high rollers can play that game For example, if you want to buy a judge down here in latin america, it might cost you five thousand bucks To buy off a stateside judge It might cost you a beach house in the virgin islands or a six or seven figure trust fund in the cayman islands Connected people in the states know how that game is played Here's a little example for you. That's really close to home. No names here But a very close family relative had a godfather who was a u.s. Senator He's dead now and he had a really nice mahogany desk in the office in his home He once told me that desk was not an ordinary desk. It was worth 50 grand Which was at the time in the 1980s about two thirds of his yearly salary. He was making around 75 grand a year
[18:27] So someone got a fabulous 18th century chippendale desk and someone else got a favor But he made sure to tell me the desk was not actually his it was on loan Wink wink So again pondering the question is every latin country thoroughly corrupt? Absolutely. If you got the dough, you can get away with murder It's done all the time But as far as gringles and expats living down here and having a plan b The only time we're ever affected by that stuff is when we get pulled over by the cops and you realize That if you grease the wheels a bit things will go a lot smoother because you know We're just down here to live nice calm happy lives captains of our own ships and all that without any interference from government We don't ask for favors We just want to do our own thing and be left alone and that's almost always what happens
[19:13] However, to give you an idea how corrupt to the core these latin governments are let me read you a few excerpts from this article It just came out on september 12. The title is perusex president is denied bail as his wife makes vulgar outburst in court This is from reuters. It starts out a former peruvian first lady was dragged out of a courtroom in san francisco on thursday As she cursed a judge's decision to keep her husband ex-president Alejandro toledo in jail pending extradition to peru on bribery charges ex-president toledo 73 years old Is wanted in peru to stand trial over accusations? He took a 20 million dollar bribe from brazilian construction company During his 2001 through 2006 term
[20:00] It says he was arrested in san francisco in july and has sought to be released on a million dollar bail All right, me johnny here little comment. Now think about that for a second. He wants to be released on one million dollar bail Where in the Does a president or anyone have a million dollars cash to put up for bail? Isn't that like saying? Yeah, i'm guilty Here's a million. Just let me go Then i'll get out of your country your court system in your hair and move to another more friendly country That won't mind me parking my 19 million in their banks So again, the question is who can come up with a million dollars cash bail? Remember he asked for that and his salary back then was only 100 grand a year All right Then it says the old brick company acknowledged in a 2016 leniency deal that it had bribed officials in a dozen latin countries
[20:50] Including peru to secure public works contracts a former old abrech executive Has sat under oath and has documents to prove former president teledo asked for a 20 million dollar bribe and got it Meanwhile in san francisco u.s Federal magistrate judge thomas hickson ruled that ex-president teledo was too much of a flight risk to free Citing what he described as connections to many influential people After the ruling was announced the ex-president's wife of belgian american anthropologist elaine carpe shouted What kind of effin trial is this? Is this a joke? Hmm me johnny here. You know what i'm thinking. She's thinking what we can't just pay the million bucks and get the hell out of here What's the world coming to? All right Then the article goes out to say the outburst in court was the latest drama in the far-reaching corruption scandal that has hit peruvian politicians
[21:43] Particularly hard earlier this year another former president of peru alan garcia Killed himself to avoid arrest in the old abrech probe Two other former presidents are under investigation and one is under house arrest Then it says ex-president teledo has been considered a fugitive from peru since 2017 when a peruvian judge Ordered him detained to keep him from fleeing or obstructing the probe But he was outside the country at the time and refused to return By the way, that's the same thing that's happening right now with ex-president korea of ecuador He's been ordered to return to stand trial for corruption while he remains a fugitive in europe And will not go back. Meanwhile, it says as far as peru goes former president alberto fuji moro Is serving time in prison right now for human rights violations and graft
[22:32] Not to mention there are two ex-el salvadorian presidents in jail The wife of the ex-president of honduras is in jail and the sitting president of honduras is under investigation for drug trafficking Meanwhile, you've got the president and ex-president of guatemala in the slammer and on and on and on Almost makes guys like clinton old vomit and bush look like boy scouts All right, speaking of corrupt politicians. Are there any other kind comes an email on that very subject? This is from jj He says dear johnny I've been down to latin america a number of times I was in latin america some 25 years ago when I was in the peace corps And I can tell you the politicians are corrupt and also a lot of the do-gooder organizations The so-called NGOs and there's an endless jockeying for power in latin american politics. It just won't stop
[23:18] And if you've noticed you'll find the most violent times of the year are when the election politics are heating up It's not unusual for candidates to bump each other off before the primaries and redoffs It's so common. It doesn't even make front page news We all know once you work your way up the political ladder, you're on the gravy train and those jobs, man It's crazy Everyone claims they hit politicians but secretly everybody wants to be one For the power and the favors you can bestow and the gravy train that comes along with it The question is should gringos and expats in latin america worry about that? I say nah Gringos living in most latin countries are generally Totally divorced from the screwed-up politics and the problems the sweaty masses have with their own governments unless you're dealing with a socialist Dictatorship like cuba venezuela or the nut job in nicaragua. Oh and johnny
[24:09] I for one do remember in your earlier expat file shows you talking about nicaragua and how you didn't much recommend it Even when you were getting testimonials and emails from people saying that it's going to be the next costa rica I listened to you. You held your line. You never gave in you said no Wait, would you recommend a country with an ex sandinista gorilla at the helm? All right, then jj says i've been there myself. In fact, I did a peace corps stint there I never recommended that place for settling down either not even way back when when you got the sandinista socialist in charge No, thanks. It was all good and calm as long as the chinese were dumping dough in for the canal that never materialized But now it's a poop hole So i'll tell you nicaraguan real estate is a hell of a deal
[24:57] As for guadamala johnny a country you talk about quite a bit It's fine for gringos and expats as long as you're in the right neighborhoods and the right towns and cities That's true of anywhere in latin america in the states, too In fact johnny, I lived in guadamala 25 years ago also a peace corps tent Can you believe I was there when the civil war was going on? And guess what all the gringos were fine Never a single incident that is to say with any of the normal gringos and europeans But that's not to say there weren't a few problems with some of the gringo do-gooders that came down and wanted to go Way up in the bonies where the action was that's neither smart nor recommended when a civil war is going down But do-gooders will be do-gooders personally. I'm not that brave as for corruption. It really doesn't matter who's in power
[25:46] They're all corrupt a-holes. They don't care about the little guy. They don't care about the public They generally fleece the public and make a habit of sucking up to the us and other first world governments Who dole out the aid that they proceed to skim? And sometimes when things get too out of hand in the human rights department generally The us will cut off their aid or threaten to cut off their aid Then there'll be a big us mission and a bunch of diplomats flying down They'll have a week of crystal champagne and penthouse parties at the hilton. The local politicians will beg for mercy Kiss and make up make more empty promises and then the imf will give them another massive loan That's the emo for all latin governments They know the trough to feed in and thinking of my jammy as you call it johnny
[26:32] I know you wouldn't be surprised to find out you probably know this already If you did a search you'd find every latin president vice president cabinet member and congressman Have a house or a condo in my jammy I wonder how does that happen when the average salary for a latin american senator or congressman is between 35 and 50 000 a year which is still a king's ransom of a salary in latin american countries So johnny the takeaway on my email gringos expats and people with a plan b in latin america Should you worry about the corrupt latin american politics and their endless jockeying for power? Nah, don't worry be happy Be happy you're in latin america and not up in the states signed jj. All right. Thanks for that jj
[27:18] I couldn't have phrased it better myself except to say That no matter how corrupt latin governments are at least they put some of these guys behind bars Something they never do with the high level postulant scumbags. You haven't politics up in the states You've been listening to the expat files living in latin america If you need some help with your own plan b we can schedule a one-on-one phone or skype consult Just send me an email the expat files at gmail.com And if you want to get on the waiting list for my next week long expat insider seminar in central america Where you're guaranteed to get a two to five year head start on your plan b Send me an email the expat files at gmail.com