Comments on: You are safe in Colombia

By: John

John — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 02:05:17 +0000

Colombia is moderately safe.. This is a country where Americans need to take extra precautions and really watch where they go alone.. I have always stayed in Northern Bogota, it seems the safest. It is easy for women to get robbed at knife or gun point if even sitting in a car more so than in the U.S because the police DO NOT CARE in Colombia! It is a beautiful country and lots of nice people but do becareful and always travel with friends.. Do not compare Colombian cities to any in the United States because even the worst cities in the United States are much more safe than those in Colombia..

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:19:49 +0000

I have been to Colombia each of the last 10 years and each time has been a wonderful experience. Normally I am in Cartagena though i also travel to Medellin and Barranquilla – by bus. I have never encountered any security problems or felt endangered in any way, and I do not speak Spanish. A history buff I get totally engulfed in in Cartagena. I sponsor a child through “Children International” and have seen her grow the past 5 years into a tremendous little girl -now 11 years old. Soon to retire full time there.

By: ROB

ROB — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:40:14 +0000

I think COlombia is still a very dangerouns city. the crime in medalllin has escaleted BIG TIME recently. It is still very easy to get car jacked or robbed. It has happened to many friends even in the good areas.

be careful..

By: clara

clara — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:19:38 +0000

Thank you for your positive notes on our beautiful country. It is heartwarming to read considering we Colombians are usually bombarded with bad press. As a U.S./Colombian binational, I appreciate the objective viewpoint of a foreigner. I am a native of Medellin and lived there for 13 years, and I must agree with your observations on the climate and the lifestyle. I would encourage you to visit Manizales – a small city in the coffee hub of our country with the warmest of Colombians. Although it does not have the economic growth of the larger cities, it makes up for it in culture, people and beautiful landscapes. I now live in Bogotá and the traffic is horrendous, but the opportunities for employment, education and entertainment are by far the largest in the country – so despite my love of “Medallo” and “Mi Manizales del Alma” I must live here for now. I have lived here a total of 22 years, and I have never had a threatening security issue, nor have any of my family members. Again, on behalf of 40 million proud Colombians, I thank you for your encouraging words about our country!

I would be happy to continue corresponding with you about politics, culture, lifestyle and opportunities in Colombia. I am also good friends with Maria and Konrad Wiemann of Dallas, who forwarded your article, so it seems we have friends in common. Feel free to write me and good luck in your travels!

By: clara ines rico

clara ines rico — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:32:43 +0000

Hello Simon,
Thank you for your positive notes on our beautiful country. It is heartwarming to read considering we Colombians are usually bombarded with bad press. As a U.S./Colombian binational, I appreciate the objective viewpoint of a foreigner. I am a native of Medellin and lived there for 13 years, and I must agree with your observations of the climate and the lifestyle. I would encourage you to visit Manizales – a small city in the coffee hub of our country with the warmest of Colombians. Although it does not have the economic growth of the larger cities, it makes up for it in culture, people and beautiful landscapes. I now live in Bogotá and the traffic is horrendous, but the opportunities for employment, education and entertainment are by far the largest in the country – so despite my love of “Medallo” and “Mi Manizales del Alma” I must live here for now. I have lived here a total of 22 years, and I have never had a threatening security issue, nor have any of my family members. Again, on behalf of 40 million proud Colombians, I thank you for your encouraging words about our country!
p.s. I am good friends with Maria and Konrad Wiemann of Dallas, who forwarded your article.

By: Robert

Robert — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:54:23 +0000

I’m an expat American living in Colombia for the past 3 years. I was in Bogota first and then Medellin. Colombia has not been affected very much by the global economic collapse but may be by the end of the year.

Medellin has beautiful women with traditional values. Yes, a nice climate; same temperature year round almost.

Christine, both types of farming is available here.

Let me know if you would like to chat about Colombia as I have a personal finance site for expats and it’s focused on Colombia.

By: Marquelle

Marquelle — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:16:37 +0000

Don’t forgot about Cartagena….

By: antonius

antonius — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:08:10 +0000

hi simon, i m already living more than 7 years in colombia.
i agree that bogota with its climate and traffic is not the nicest city in colombia, but it has been the place were i had my job.
we lived outside bogota in la calera,which is pretty nice.
i traveled almost 4 times a month from bogota to other countries, but i can not share your experience at the airport, it sure is too small, but immigration and customs were in my experience always efficient and with avianca gold you do not have to stand in line with check in. flying to the usa however can be a pain in the ass, due to all the additional questioning and visa checks etc during check in. best advice come more to colombia, and earn more mileages with avianca
i really like santa marta as investment opportunity in real estate in colombia

By: HGHdoges

HGHdoges — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:17:56 +0000

You are not safe in Colombia in the countryside. One of my best friends, a Colombian national married to an American, just got back from a month at her mother’s and her farm outside of Chaparral, where the family has always lived. (Notice I said farm, as in poor back-country peasant acreage, not estate.) Her brother is a policeman in an adjoining district. She was phoned not once but twice by guerillas (or people pretending to be) saying she must surrender to them a cow. Both times she went to the local police and consulted her brother. Both times she was strongly told to give them the cow, that she would truly be in danger if she did not, that the police could do nothing. She submitted–a huge loss to a peasant farm. For a large, long overview, read the article in Harper’s magazine of about a year ago. Maybe in the middle of large cities you’d be fine. But that’s not what I’d call safe. This is a once wonderful country we Americans have well and truly armed and ruined. My friend has long urged me to go with her; now she sadly agrees my fear is justified.

By: Lindsay

Lindsay — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:59:54 +0000

Bogotá is a Wonderful place. The security is a little less imposing given that half of the K-9′s are golden retrievers who start wagging their tails looking for attention when you walk by. I spent several months living in the Chico neighborhood. My fianceé and I did a lot of late night walking between Avenues 7-20 and Streets 80-120 and never felt unsafe. I did see a lot of new construction and vacant, for-sale apartments which gave me the sense of overbuilding. They looked really nice though.

I don’t know about the farming, but outside the city I saw miles and miles of beautiful dark rich soil.

By: Carlos

Carlos — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:36:08 +0000

I very much appreciate the positive view of Bogotá/Colombia. However, as a ½ Colombian who has visited frequently all my life, I have a slightly different perspective. The recent years of stability under Uribe have made a huge difference that might account for a lot of your positive view. While I’m not going on any statistics, I’ve always regularly heard of family members and friends who’ve been kidnapped, drugged and robbed, or messed up in auto accidents (traffic is horrible there). As social and family networks are much stronger and more extensive, there is a slight bias from a grape-vine basis, but the security situation in years past has certainly been worse. Your US crime comparison suffers from one subtle facet: much of the crime in the US happens among the poor in bad neighborhoods. I’d bet a decent neighborhood in the US is definitely safer than almost anywhere in Colombia. But with some reasonable precautions, it’s fairly safe for foreigners.

I think it’s great that you find Bogotá physically beautiful. I think it’s polluted, crowded, and as I said traffic is horrible and worsening with the good times. But maybe I take the good things like the surrounding mountains for granted having grown up with them. As for the airport, it’s never taken me quite 2.5 hours, but we always get there 3 hours ahead of time just to be safe.

But the bad things aside, The people are very warm and vivacious (quite a contrast from Chile where I live now, a country that has had vastly better economic success). Outside of Bogotá, the country is of course gorgeous. Colombia is probably a great place to invest given the improving security and corruption, a potential reverse of such trends being the downside risk that also make the upside potentially excellent. And the low tax, capitalistic spirit has been strong for a good 20 years. The taxes on our family investments for example are very low. It’s actually one of the reasons I’m not a libertarian; almost everything is private with no decent public parks, libraries, etc. If you’re wealthy and well connected the country clubs and dinner parties are great, but the vast majority of the populace can’t enjoy such niceties. The best role of government is a complex beast, I think.

So all-in-all, Simon’s assessment isn’t too far from my experience, but I’m definitely delighted to hear such a positive review from a foreigner.

By: Robert

Robert — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:55:19 +0000

Yes, Simon, I agree with your analysis. I’ve lived in Colombia for the last 3 years, in Bogota, and now in Medellin. Medellin has arguably the best looking women in the world, and very traditional values.

It’s as safe as any large cities in the states but as in all of Latin America, there are people desperate for money.

Colombia is holding up well during the global recession.

By: Christine

Christine — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:09:32 +0000

Is the farming in Colombia Organic, Non-Organic, or both?

By: erik gustafson

erik gustafson — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:16:47 +0000

Bogota is spectacular. The climate is cool and wonderful, and the golf is the best in South America with two excellent courses being El Rincon and Los Legartos.

By: Gary

Gary — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:15:18 +0000

I could not agree more…Colombia is a wonderful and safe country. I have been there many times to many cities and agree that Medellin is the nicest for bigger cities. On any Sunday morning, it seems like 50% of the population is out running, biking, or doing some form of exercise on the beautiful mountain roads around Medellin. And we have not even touched on the incomparable beauty of the female inhabitants…of which Medellin is second best. Pereira, a smaller city in Colombia, is unequivocally the beauty capital of the world…