I admit that I didnt read this whole thread, got in 22 pages deep and I can summarize by reading the last two pages that a lot of people are talking and making narratives about a culture they know nothing about. I am boots on the ground right now, in Colombia, have been for the last week or so. I usually travel between Bogota/Medellin/Cali/Cartagena. I will say this, 90% of the Colombians I meet and interact with all honorable people. Colombian men and women are extremely pleasant/good people. The other 10% IDK, I dont mess with them. There are criminal elements in every society, whether considered so-called first world or developing, it dont matter. Crime will happen.
The main issue here in Colombia and I suspect thats the case now, highly likely, is the influx of Venezuelan migrants. Vennies (affectionally known as) are desperate, have no means to make a decent living - they cant work legally and its not like Colombia's macroeconomics are not struggling. Vennies rob and kill Colombian dudes just the same. I have heard in my travels of locals that got set up and robbed + killed by Venezuelans. At the risk of sounding 'racist' in its broad terms, I will say a lot of young Venezuelans males are criminals (it's happening now in NYC, they robbing majority women of purse/bags and cell phones - just look it up). I, obviously dont mean ALL but that's the rep now, sadly
The last homie, dude from MN I think, was set up and killed by Venezuelans. Colombia has its own problems (narco and politics/curruption) - they dont really bother to fukk with foreigners
Now, here's this. Prostitution is legal in all of Colombia. That is the way a lot of women feed their families. You can have your Western concepts and notions about why someone traveled but it dont matter at the end of the day. This whole idea of two people cannot enter into a transactional agreement is straight up maternalistc protectionism. Why cant I pay a woman a price she will agree to and get my nut off and go about my business? Who does that hurt? But that's another story. Back to Col, most Colombian women would never set up a person to be robbed in that line of work, period. It is their business, that's how they earn their living. As in aside, a lot of professional Colombian women still sell that pum pum on the side for extra pesos. I've met lawyers, nurses, doctors and others on apps. They make decent $, live nice but they want that IG life and there's just not enough $ for that. Now what they like is one or two gringos who only come to visit from time to time and hook up. They dont want to fawk their shyt up in their cities. Yes, they will ask for $ when you're home too - hence, the western union novio.
Anyway, whatever else you folks wanna know, hmu - I am boots on the ground until Sunday (Bogota)
Receipt, travel fr Cali to Bog today
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