Safety is often the primary consideration off visitors and expats planning Colombia (or it should be!

). This post commonly detail a number of my advice and you can knowledge for the safety here and you will, once again, Im becoming truthful so zero sugarcoating!

Although there might have been a large work recently by the Colombian bodies to market it as a comfort zone to have people (to your slogan becoming ‘The only real exposure is trying in order to stay’) and far out of the thing i possess understand online features emphasised one to it’s secure, brand new schedule at the rear of new government’s operate is obvious, and some tourist or expats will use the simple fact that they by themselves haven’t been victims because an excuse for this glance at. Unfortunately, an equivalent cannot be told you towards area overall otherwise, in fact, for some other expats I understand.

Aside from the incredible risk of paramilitaries which rule of many rural portion

This can be more harmful put We have previously been to and you can Cali might be entitled the essential dangerous city inside Colombia. The news here is inundated which have accounts of men and women getting killed from the sicarios (hit guys) otherwise held up within weapon/knife point in order to deal its jewelry, money otherwise devices. Dangers such as these usually are invisible so you’re able to tourist and you will expats, but they are therefore very real for the people regarding Colombia.

You might vastly minimise the risks here by steering clear of certain areas, maybe not showing accessories or having your cell phone call at personal and you can not are away later in the day alone

In the event You will find maybe not become mugged me personally, I have seen a few muggings (one in Cali inside large daylight, one out of Bogota in the evening) of course We resided within 2011, my personal flatmate is actually violently mugged to your our roadway the whole day. A good amount of it’s throughout the wise practice, but it doesn’t mean you to definitely Colombia is secure, it just implies that you have to learn to navigate their persistent insecurity.

• My boyfriend’s father usually has their profit his sock when the guy leaves our home.
• Most of the professionals on CIAT where I really works has actually its bags checked when we hop out after the day in case i stole one thing.
• Extremely top strata houses and you can apartments is included in electrified fences and equipped guards. Nevertheless, these do not fundamentally stop break-ins from someone surviving in your own state-of-the-art.
• It’s illegal for the majority urban areas to possess a couple boys with the a motorcycle as this is the vintage method in which hit guys destroy some one and also a simple vacation.
• We never have my purse back at my lap regarding vehicle due to the fact a familiar type of theft is for a motorcycle to drive right up next to you in the a red light split the fresh new window and steal it.
• Automobiles rarely stop at reddish bulbs immediately after to ten in the evening as you are an easy target to possess thieves otherwise carjackings.
• Merely yesterday my boyfriend’s moms and dads eliminated on a traffic white in your day and dozens of males popped off vans and you can a coach to rob new 10 or so autos at the front of these.
• You’re not permitted to make use of your phone-in banking institutions as a classic way for visitors to end up being robbed is actually for an excellent thief to stay the financial institution and check who’s withdrawing a lot of cash and you may band his pal additional to inform him whatever they seem like so they are able getting accompanied and you can mugged. For the reason that not many individuals have debit notes here just like the they are high priced so withdraw a lot of cash inside financial institutions.

Guns: I will merely never ever become accustomed to the degree of firearms you find here. All the cops and private protection shields carry guns after all day. Wherever you go you will come across somebody for the uniform that have an effective huge weapon will pointing during the someone-top, rather than it being properly in the a proprietor or directing so you’re able to the ground. It is extremely shameful and you may a constant reminder of your own security-situations here.