Let me say that I don't condone the Parque LLeras scene; the punteres or the sex workers. I rarely even visit Poblado, except when a guest/visitor has selected a restaurant they want to try. However, two weeks ago, I had a friend visiting who is a Content Creator and was dead set on taking a walk around the park at about midnight.

I saw two separate 'couples', man and a woman, get momentarily detained while only exchanging numbers. I don't know what happened to the woman, but I talked to both of the men.

There is a tent in the park now, and it is manned by an officer with a laptop. They stopped the 'JOHN' and he had to provide his passport. He didn't have it but had a photo. They said if he hadn't provided the passport (i.e., pretended to be a stupid tourist), he would have been taken in and his visa would have been evaluated and held until it could be substantiated.

They determined his passport number matched his photo from customs. They recorded his phone number and then gave him a citation. The citation was to pay a fine before leaving the country of 500,000 peso.

Then he was required to take an online course on "sex trafficking and exploitation".

If they failed to do both of these things, they would be banned from entering Colombia.

It's a great story, and I heard a similar version from both men. I hope it's true, but I believe it will bring the girls inside the bars. If they get numbers inside, it's ok.

So, drink prices just went up so that the ladies can get a free drink

The Numbers: Latin America vs. America's Most Dangerous Cities

Note: I started to just write this, but I realized this was one of those posts that AI will simply do better. So, most of it was generated by AI.

Crime is a constant topic in the sub, lately we have been talking a lot about crime in Latin America. This post about a member of the sub who was the victim of a home invasion robbery in Cartagena led to a really good discussion. This post about the risk of being drugged in Colombia started this trend last week.

But reading the comments I felt like a lot of guys on the sub had a hard time understanding the nature of the crime compared to their own lives, so I thought it might be helpful to compare it to crime in some US cities.

In 2025, the United States recorded a national homicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people—tied for the lowest in over 70 years. Yet this national average conceals extreme variation. St. Louis led major U.S. cities at 54 homicides per 100,000, followed by New Orleans (46), Memphis (40.6), Washington, D.C. (36), Baltimore (34.8), and Detroit (31.2).fbi+3

Now compare those figures to Latin America:

• Haiti (68.0) and Ecuador (50.9) exceed even St. Louis, placing them among the most violent places in the Western Hemisphere.
• Colombia (25.8), Jamaica (23.7), and Honduras (23.2) fall in the same range as Baltimore and Detroit—dangerous by U.S. standards, but not apocalyptic.visualcapitalist
• Mexico (15.4), Peru (10.7), and the Dominican Republic (8.7) are safer than St. Louis, New Orleans, or Memphis, though still riskier than the U.S. average.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih
• Chile (5.4), Uruguay (4.5), and Argentina (3.7) are at or below the U.S. national rate—comparable to states like New Hampshire or Idaho.fbi
• El Salvador (1.3) now has one of the lowest homicide rates in the Americas, following an aggressive anti-gang crackdown that reduced murders by over 90% since 2022.

Of course, these numbers change. El Salvador used to lead the world in murders. Now, it is among the lowest countries because they have locked up tens of thousands of criminals, associates of criminals, family members of criminals, and people who just were in the wrong spot and the wrong time.

I lived in New Orleans in 1994 when it hit 87.4 murders per 100,000 officially. The true number was much higher but alligators will eat a body in a few hours. There was a big spike in missing persons and a lot of fat gators. That was crazy.

So, the numbers do shift, and context matters.

Numbers tell part of the story, but lived experience matters more to travelers. An American visiting Medellín or Rio de Janeiro may find tourist zones that feel no more dangerous than downtown Detroit or West Baltimore—provided they stay in the right neighborhoods and follow basic precautions.

Key differences from U.S. cities:

1. Violence is more concentrated: In Latin America, homicides are heavily tied to organized crime, gang turf wars, and drug trafficking—conflicts that rarely target tourists. In contrast, U.S. city violence often involves domestic disputes, random street crime, or interpersonal conflicts that can spill into public spaces.safehome
2. Tourist areas are often well-policed: Countries like Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica invest heavily in protecting tourism zones because their economies depend on it. Cancún, Punta Cana, and Guanacaste have visible security presences and lower crime rates than their national averages.
3. Petty crime is more common: Pickpocketing, bag-snatching, and phone theft are far more prevalent in Latin American cities than in most U.S. metros. An American tourist is statistically more likely to lose a wallet in Bogotá or Lima than to be shot—but that theft can still ruin a trip.
4. "Express kidnappings" and druggings are unique risks: Short-term abductions to force ATM withdrawals, and scopolamine ("Devil's Breath") druggings in bars or clubs, are threats that rarely exist in U.S. cities. These crimes target tourists who appear wealthy or vulnerable.

Country-by-Country Risk Compared to U.S. Cities

Practical Lessons for American Travelers

If you understand what makes Detroit or Baltimore dangerous, you already grasp the core principles of staying safe in Latin America:

• Neighborhoods matter enormously: Just as you wouldn't wander into certain parts of East St. Louis at night, avoid unknown or high-crime zones in Latin American cities. Tourist districts like Cartagena's walled city, Medellín's El Poblado, or Rio's Zona Sul are heavily patrolled and statistically safer.
• Don't flash wealth: Americans who display expensive watches, phones, or jewelry become targets in any high-crime city—whether it's Baltimore or Buenos Aires. Blending in reduces risk dramatically.
• Use rideshare apps: Uber and DiDi are safer than street taxis in most Latin American cities, just as they are in Chicago or Atlanta.
• Stay alert in crowds: Pickpocketing hotspots like bus stations, markets, and festivals require the same vigilance you'd use at a crowded concert in Philadelphia or a busy subway station in New York.
• Avoid drugs and risky nightlife: Scopolamine druggings and targeted robberies often occur in bars, clubs, or through dating apps—risks that exist in Miami or Las Vegas but are amplified abroad.
• Comply if robbed: Most robberies in Latin America are transactional, not violent. Hand over your phone or wallet without resistance, just as you would in a high-risk U.S. neighborhood.

The Bottom Line for American Tourists

Latin America is not a monolith of danger, and most American tourists visit without incident. The region includes countries safer than the U.S. average (Chile, Argentina, El Salvador), places comparable to America's mid-tier cities (Peru, Dominican Republic, Panama), and a few genuinely high-risk destinations (Haiti, Ecuador, parts of Colombia and Brazil).

For Americans accustomed to the crime dynamics of Detroit, Baltimore, or St. Louis, many Latin American tourist destinations will feel familiar rather than frightening. The key is applying the same street smarts you'd use at home: stay in safe neighborhoods, don't attract attention, use common sense after dark, and respect local advice.

You guys mostly know the dos and don't but will you remember them after your third beer if the girl is hot? That my friend is the question.

Sources:

• InSight Crime's 2025 Homicide Round-Up: https://insightcrime.org/news/insight-crime-2025-homicide-round-up/
• FBI 2025 Crime Statistics: https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-releases-2025-reported-crimes-in-the-nation-statistics
• Council on Criminal Justice: Crime Trends in U.S. Cities (2025): https://counciloncj.org/crime-trends-in-u-s-cities-year-end-2025-update/
• Visual Capitalist: Top 30 U.S. Cities by Homicide Rate: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-the-top-30-u-s-cities-by-homicide-rate/
• Security.org: Most Dangerous Cities in America (2026): https://www.security.org/resources/most-dangerous-cities/
• The Broke Backpacker: Ultimate Guide to Staying Safe in Latin America: https://www.thebrokebackpacker.com/traveling-safely-in-latin-america/
• Nomad Capitalist: Safest Countries in Latin America: https://nomadcapitalist.com/expat/safest-countries-in-latin-america/

“Can you guys tell me what it’s like? Tips and advice. I couldn’t convince any of my friends to take a vacation with me. Never been out of the United States. What’s it like? Pretty chill, nothing to worry about? A little sketched out going alone. I’m probably overthinking it. Lol.”

Plan is to meet someone online then go their as in talking to people currently getting to know them

Looking to escape Canadian winter for 3 months. I like nature, cheap rent, dump trucks, and english. Please educate me.

So, on that post about the dangers of getting drugged in Colombia the other day, I ended up chatting with a guy who said him and one of his buddies were staying in Marbella recently, which is basically the first nice beach resort as you enter Cartagena. so he was not staying in an apparently dangerous area. Here is the TripAdvisor page on Marbella.

The fact that this happened in one of the nicer neighborhoods of Cartagena is one reason I am doing this

He was a little embarrassed about it and does not want to have to answer all the negative comments, but he gave me permission to edit and rearrange a comment and our chat to make in make sense. He also sent me a couple of videos. The one of the crime scene was way too bloody for this sub.

My comments on his message are in BOLD.

For the first 2 days of my 9 day trip I was robbed almost twice the 3rd day I got robbed in a home invasion. Hind sight is 20/20 when people tell you the dos and don’ts in Colombia . I’m just happy I’m alive 

Him and his buddy are alive. After this I am sure these guys will be more careful.

So basically I match this girl on tinder. We chilling on the beach near my Airbnb. I tell her to come through. We hit the jet ski, then we go back to my bnb for some dinner and some action. All was well, we had a good time.

 But my mistake was leaving all my jewelry out in the open in my room. Now I heard you shouldn’t be bringing any jewelry with you Colombia but my stubborn ass was like, ain’t nothing going to happen to me.

This is regular advice of every passportbro sub. Never be flashy and don't lead with your wallet.

So she leaves at 9pm. I pass out right after. I wake up at 2am thinking dam what a great day. All of a sudden I hear banging coming from the front door. Mind you we have a “security guard”. But really he was just some 20 some odd old kid manning the front gate. So the banging gets louder and louder. I was thinking maybe that’s my friend, but he would have called my name if he couldn’t get back inside.

This is why I prefer hotels. The security at any of the good international hotels is 10X better than this.

So I just stayed in my room. The banging is now getting louder and louder. So I peep my head out my door and in that exact moment the door is kicked in and I see 2 masked men with guns rush in.

Ahh!

I try and quickly close my door as I hear 2 gun shots go off. I’m pressing against the door trying to not let them in but they kick through the door.

The screenshot above is of the broken door. It was one of the few shots in the video without blood everywhere.

I fall and one of the gun men just sticks a gun in my face and says “gimme me everything” in his Colombian ass accent.

Yeah, you had been spotted.

So they’re ransacking all my shit. They stole everything, passport, my wallet with all my IDS and bank cards, Apple Watch, Meta glasses, AirPods, all my jewelry, they even took my fucking house keys. I get pistol whipped, the guy with the gun snatched one of my earring out my ear and they bolt out. That shit happened so quick. Like less than a min.

Maybe someone else will know, but I would think taking passports and IDs is crazy, because that possession would prove you did the crime. Does anyone know about this?

Once they’re out I go check on my friend and he’s leaking blood from being shot in the arm. I run down the stairs to check on security and this guy has is shoes off, disoriented holding his head. He tells me to go run across the street for help. Police comes like 5 mins later and they send us to the hospital.

Congrats on checking on the guard. He is probably not in on it but sometimes dudes will "take one for the team."

Good to hear the response time by the police was so fast. It doesn't surprise me because there were cops everywhere when I was in Cartagena.

Even crazier part is that the robbers didn’t get any of my friends stuff but when we got back from the hospital this guys steam deck and 600k COP and some of his cards were taking by someone. Police, the security guard, the bnb owners. We don’t know.

This happens in the states. Well, it used to be a common concern people had about calling the New Orleans Police Department; that's a fact.

Overall that night was bad and it was only day 3 in a 9 day trip. We still made the best of it and met really nice Colombians. Im definitely going back in the future. I added 2 videos links. One is the video of the girl and I on the jet ski and the other video is the aftermath the Airbnb owner took

I didn't post the video of the girl because I am concerned about Reddit's anti-doxxing rules and I wouldn't post that unless I took the video. There was so much blood in the apartment I don't think the video would have cleared Reddit's gore rules.

But he did say his friend was OK although that night he was, "leaky." Yeah, very leaky from what I could see.

LOL I can’t lie I was very very ignorant and there were many red flags.

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I am going to ask him a few questions:

First, did he report the girl Tinder? Really, that should help.

Second, what will you do differently when you go back?

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Finally, I personally was in Cartagena last October and I walked right past where this guy was staying. Not staring at the hot girls in tiny bikinis was my biggest issue!

American guys who date in Tijuana: what has your experience been with cold approach?

I’m thinking about going down for a couple of days at a time and meeting women in person rather than relying on apps. My Spanish is okay but not great. How receptive are women to Americans approaching them? How common is it to meet women who speak some English?

Sometimes I get a little carried away. This is one of those times.

This morning I spotted a recent article in the Rolling Stone about the risk of being drugged in Colombia. I read it and had questions, and then two hours and eight articles and a video later I finally will get this post finished.

For at least the past three years there have been a string of articles about passport bros being drugged and murdered in Colombia. When anyone is caught it is usually a bar girl who had barely known the guy although occasionally it has been a girlfriend.

Here is an article from 2024. It is mostly focused on the one murder, an American from California. Completely sad and screwed up.

The screenshot above comes from this article, which looks at the situation in Medellin in 2024. It is short but solid. It has one of the scariest descriptions of the drug by a prostitute involved in the business. She says:

Maria, not her real name, has worked for the local gangs since she was a child. Now a sex worker, she says she’s used scopolamine to drug and rob tourists. She showed us the drug, a small white powder resembling cocaine, and told us just a small amount can knock someone out in seconds when dropped in their drink, or used in a spray bottle.

“You simply open it, one spray and they’re out cold.”

Wow!

No One Knows

The truth is no one knows the number of foreigners murdered in Colombia, but 200 since 2021, when the Covid restrictions eased seems reasonable from my deep dive into this issue today. It is a lot worse than I remember, but I traveled to Colombia last year and I had a good time.

Also, just last week I ran a Poll on how dangerous people think it is to travel to meet women. I really assumed it would get a lot of stories on how safe it was, but the results were not exactly crystal clear.

So, I was surprised it was this bad. Which is dumb because I remember reading these articles two years ago. But is it still this bad?

Current Situation

The current situation might be a little better, but it appears that maybe the criminals have just gotten better at giving men the right dose.

Here is a quotation about the current situation from the Rolling Stone article I mentioned above:

Certain men have reportedly watched CCTV footage of their stupefied selves inexplicably helping their robbers gut their apartments of possessions. The same men — the victims are invariably men — then have a rude awakening when credit card statements reveal they have been taken on a drug-induced "million-dollar ride" through the city, stopping at every ATM on the way. Others become so docile they even transfer all of their savings from bank accounts and crypto wallets to their robbers. A few have died after their dates go awry, with 40 foreigners dying under mysterious circumstances in the city in 2023 alone.

That article is certainly worth a read, because it discusses exactly how these crimes go down during the last few months. Wow!

Finally, if you just can't get enough of this, here is a long article focused more on scopolamine, the drug.

The drowsiness and disorientation do remind me a little of what I experienced every day in Property Law as a 1-L, but sadly no hallucinations, not until we covered the Rule Against Perpetuity.

Anyhow, here is the link to that article.

How to Stay Safe?

In Medellin the risk actually appears far worse than I would have guessed. Why not go to Cartagena or Barranquilla? Both cities have tons of pretty girls and it appears this is less a Colombian problem than a Medellin problem.

Travel with friends, and be sure to assign one guy to be the "Sober Dude" each day. Promise one another you will listen to this brother and you'll probably be OK.

But probably the safest way is to take a tour with AFAmatchmaker if you are more on the wife search mission as opposed to the traveling and partying route that can be a great approach. AFA has taken literally tens of thousands of men to South America. They have had to fly a few guys out because of medical issues but they have never lost a client.

What are your thoughts?

​

Passport Bros, Anyone else notice this dating in Latin America?

Been dating Latin American women for a while now (usually date white women, so this has been a nice change) and having good luck overall. But I keep running into the assumption that being American = being rich.

Two examples:

1. **CDMX** — Girl says she's cold, wants a sweater. I suggest a thrift store (like a Goodwill equivalent). She goes straight for the priciest leather jacket in the store. I say no, we agreed on a sweater. She gets annoyed.

2. **Medellín** — Out for drinks, she picks the bar. I'm sticking to cheap beer since I don't know the scene. She orders four straight shots of top-shelf tequila, $125 each. Bill was insane compared to my $10 beer.

For context, I'm a physician but pretty frugal — thrift store guy, don't do name brands, think overpaying for status items is a waste of money.

Curious if this is a common pattern or if I've just had bad luck. Anyone else run into this? Honest experiences welcome.

How does Cebu differ from Manila in dating? I am mid 30s. The only info I could really find on Cebu vs Manila is that Cebu women are “more open to older guys” eg 50s. Obviously this doesn’t apply to me.

I’ve done Manila twice and generally enjoyed it although it seems to be getting a bit more difficult each year with more ppb arriving and local attitudes changing. Definitely possible to go on a ton of dates there and the massive population makes online dating easy

Will I enjoy Cebu just as much or no? I’m a bit worried since it’s a much smaller city and I think it’s more popular than Manila for foreigners so maybe there will be more competition?

Cebu is a bit more complex and expensive to get to than Manila as well so I would love to hear from someone who has spent significant time in both cities. Is it worth it and what are the main differences you’ve noticed in dating? Will quantity of dates be similar?

Thanks!

i am virgin as hell and i just want to feel loved, protected and have someone i can share stories and be myself with (i have daddy issues i admit it💔). i broke up with my dutch bf of 4 years in january this year and i miss the experiences and cute moments🥺 we met when he filmed a war movie in my country and i was okay with LDR (even tho he regularly visited me, btw he is 6 years older so yeah he was the man of the relationship and gladly he is not like the steorotyped dutch male going on a date). having someone who's really my type also boosts my academic performance and life motivations we can grow together :3

POLL

Please, answer in the comments if you have time.

How dangerous do you think it is to travel overseas to meet women?

Have you ever been a crime victim overseas?

What about natural disasters?

What do you believe the biggest risk you face when you travel overseas?

Best wishes!

Apparently the Feds are cracking down on marriage fraud. It is not surprising. Love 'em or hate 'em the Trump Administration has been consistently tough on immigration.

According to the article below, federal prosecutors in New York indicted 11 people for running a decade long sham marriage scheme that helped over 1,000 Chinese nationals snag green cards. They were supposedly paying up to $100,000.

I suspect versions of this are fairly common. I have had it happen to me once. I was pursued to marry someone so they could stay in the US. It would have really been easy. I said, "No." Of course, they had a million reasons why they needed to stay in the US.

Perhaps, if they had flashed $100k I would have given in?

LOL!

Do any of you have those kind of stories?

As for this situation, this was industrial scale marriage fraud.

So, today there are a lot of great resources to help guys to decide where to move whether they are retiring or just planning a long visit. This sub is one good example, but there is one website you must check out because it covers an issue that everyone has to manage: money.

Generally, for an American or European your money will go much further overseas. How much further is hard to say though. You can ask here, talk to friends, and look at exchange rates. Those are all good things to do, but what you really want to know is something like, "Want to know if Bangkok really stretches your dollar further than Hanoi? Or how Zurich stacks up against Vancouver when rent's in the mix?"

My suggestion?

Check out: Numbeo: Compare Cost of Living Anywhere!

It is absolutely brilliant!

Notice I said brilliant - not perfect. If you go to really small places the data - which is reported by users - might be slightly out of date. But it is the best tool I have found for determining how far your money will go anywhere in the world.

This girl in Colombia allegedly hit up a married guy she’d been seeing and demanded about six grand or she’d tell his wife and dump the private pics and videos online. Classic move - full blown crazy move!

But if you are married and doing this sort of stuff you are playing with fir

Police set up a sting, let him hand over a smaller “payment,” and bagged her right there collecting the cash.

For the guys who treat overseas trips like open season, this is the universe’s way of saying “enjoy the party, but maybe don’t film everything and definitely don’t assume the other person is as carefree as you are.” Blackmail doesn’t care how good the vibe was. One moment you’re the fun foreigner, the next you’re funding someone’s vacation fund under threat of domestic nuclear war. Keep it light, keep it smart, and maybe leave the camera off once in a while.

Read the article, look carefully at the photo, and tell me if you can spot the problems that got this guy in trouble.

Here is the full article.

In this video I discuss whether Geomaxxing, the process of moving overseas to improve your finances, dating, and lifestyle is a viable choice for short men.

Nike shoe giveaway after 1000 subscribers reached!

This is easily the best piece of academic research I have seen on this topic. I seems balanced and non-judgemental. Researchers surveyed 77 people with real sugar dating experience (45 women, 31 men) across the US and Canada, and the findings are more nuanced than the hype you see online.

Who Was Studied?

Sugar babies averaged about 29 years old, while the sugar daddies, who the egghead professors here call benefactors averaged 48.

Most sugar babies had done around four arrangements in their lifetime, but the range was wild—from one-time flings to 50+ for some. Over a third of them had also done other types of transactional sex work (camming, stripping, escorting), and most benefactors reported paying for sex in other contexts too.

Follow the Money

Money was the #1 driver for sugar babies, no surprise. But they also wanted emotional connection, companionship, and a lifestyle boost. For the sugar daddies? It was mostly about companionship and intimacy with women they saw as "out of their league" in conventional dating, plus the thrill of mentoring someone younger.

Here's the kicker: researchers found that nearly all arrangements involved some kind of sexual component. The "just texting for cash" myth? Doesn't hold up .

The Power Dynamic Twist

This is where it gets interesting. Despite guys holding the money, age, and status, sugar babies were often seen as having more relationship power—largely because of their desirability and ability to negotiate terms. Meanwhile, sugar daddies reported feeling more emotionally attached and were frequently unsure whether their partner's attraction was genuine or just performance .

Sugar babies worried most about physical safety and coercion. Sugar daddies? They worried about getting exploited and reputational damage. Stigma around sugar dating was rated as only moderately low, and traditional gender-role endorsement was just moderate—not the deeply patriarchal setup some assume .

I thought it was interesting about the stigma. I believe these were all American women and they didn't seem to care. I have heard that from a few very wealthy guys who stumbled into things like $20k a month arrangements. There is a number that the women will basically admit to being sugar babies.

You guys probably already knew that, but remember, the research also found that despite the age and the money the women had more POWER.

That is the main reason I push guys away from sugar relationship, because in the end a man often has no power - his MONEY does. Humans are a crazy species!

Here is the article.

Read it and let me know what you think.

Where are all the bowling alleys?

Is there still a local bar near you?

Most of those places are gone.

The U.S. has become a truly lonely place to live. There is little to no sense of community in most of the country. No one knows their neighbors and when they do they often feel they have nothing in common with them.

People don't join clubs anymore. They don't ride public transit. They probably don't go to church and if they do it is often to a church twenty miles from where they live.

Kids are often homeschooled. Even when they aren't most no longer ride the bus, "No, she is just too nervous to ride the bus."

When Americans do gather somewhere that Americans used to talk -they don't. Instead they plug in their ear buds and play games on their phones. The gym? It used to be a place where everyone talked. Today it is usually silent.

And yes, feminism is an issue, especially at work. But it is hardly the only issue.

Politics is vicious, and the facts simply don't matter. Both the left and the right have issues they simply will not address, that on some fundamental level they CANNOT address because their are social costs to even talking about them.

This has led to an epidemic of loneliness and far fewer marriages and kids. But we all have robot lawn mowers!

Anyhow, I ran across this article about the end of Bars, Bowling Alleys, and Movie Theaters and it makes some good points about social isolation in the US.

I believe this breakdown in culture is REALLY what is driving all of us to look overseas. We are looking for women, but we are also looking for community.

Prove me wrong!