Latin America Rates High In Violent Cities

[Matiasba]

With this "K" government every country can eventually reach argentinean GDP, but still long shot for chile to reach the same gdp as argentina, it will take quite a long time and i don't see it happening unless the price of copper multiply by a significant number and argentina continue electing Kischners like government for the next 40 years. So is a very long shot

Do you have any idea of how Argentinas GDP grew UNSTOPPABLY under the Ks or you re just talking without any factual information?

 

[ElQueso]

Colombia has a lot of huge social problems that argentina does not. Like inequality. Theres also the narco problem that they have started to export to the region, with a little help of the US of course.
Lots of crimes happened in Argentina had Colombians involved, due to drug issues. I know at least two colombians who live here and are drug dealers. Its not like you have arrgentines in Colombia like that!!

Dude, you can be so blinded sometimes...

Yeah, there's so much equality here - as long as you are Argentino and live in the "right" place and don't try to do something you "shouldn't" do. Repeating the phrase "todos incluidos" doesn't make it so. I see first-hand how Paraguayans are treated here (as an example) - pat on the head and "good job, thanks so much for your work" if they're cleaning your house or building your buildings or selling you fruit. But don't move into a decent building or neighborhood if you're Paraguayan!

And yeah, there are so few poor people (Argentinos incluidos) here...oh wait - I forgot that Cristina lowered the poverty level indicator so low that pretty much only the most extreme poverty shows up on that scale. If you're in a union or working for the government you may be treated "equally", but if you're poor, completely different story.

Reminds of the woman I used to work with who came from China, lived in a big city, in a high-rise, with her well-off family. She had no idea that the vast majority of her country lived in abject poverty while a fairly small percentage (though a large number) of the population lived halfway decent lives.

And of course, blame the US on drug problems in Colombia (not that you're wrong on that count - legalizing drugs would do wonders for winning what really counts), while Argentina is oh-so-much-better. Do you have any idea the amount of cocaine that is sold here (and many, many other drugs), at such incredibly low prices, and how Argentina, with its porous borders, is a center of cocaine distribution in South America? It doesn't all come from Peru (but even if it did, how would that make Argentina look any better than the US, just because we are talking about Colombia and not Peru?).

Do you have any idea of how Argentinas GDP grew UNSTOPPABLY under the Ks or you re just talking without any factual information?

I'll give you a pass on using the phrase "grew unstoppably" since I know English isn't your first language. But generally, "unstoppable" means just that - it does not stop, indeed cannot be stopped. And as has been mentioned many times, one of the biggest reasons that Nestor (and I'll never give you Cristina, who has helped make things worse and worse) had such good numbers was because of commodities exports during a time when commodities prices were relatively high.

Cristina has spent and printed money profligately during her tenure, and managed to alienate natural trading partners in the region and has hamstrung the economy with her control policies. Hell, even Paraguay's Guarani went from trading as low as 2800 to 1 peso to as high as 350 to 1 peso in the 8 years I've been here (while the Dollar remains around 4000-4500 Guarani to the Dollar). And Paraguay has an investment-level rating on its bonds, which Argentina does not have (and NOT because of the."vulture funds" and poor Argentina is being mercilessly attacked by the ogre USA).

I'll give you that there is not as much violent crime here in Argentina as in many other parts of Latin America, possibly including Colombia. But there is a lot of crime nonetheless.

Argentinos have to quit resting on past (usually temporary) laurels and listening to government propaganda, and start taking their country more seriously.

 

[Matiasba]

you re right inequality is huge here, but the lowest in the region (which has the highest inequality numbers world wide).

But the GDP has been growing and growing, I dont care if it was because of the commodity prices, that would I called some help, but not the main reason. We have like 10 years with unemployment at, 6, 7%!!! that should explain a lot of this growth. We also had the 2008 crisis in the middle, and now its not that world economy is at its best, so...

About the drug problems in Mexico, Central america and Colombia. Of course is the US fault, is where the narcos were trained, is where the drug goes to, its the reason the US has to intervene militarly (sorry if this word does not exist, as you said english is not my native language)

 

[Noruega]

In regards to some other posts, here are some reasons why Colombians continue to move to Argentina:

-Cheaper education (particularly medical school; also, doctors make more in Argentina)
-No more 48-hour work week
-Less work in general. Colombians work like dogs, and often on Saturdays--we all know how Argentines work.
-Less uptight social norms (wear what you want, grow out your hair/beard, dress like a bum, stop wearing makeup, no one cares)
-Relative safety
-The Colombian economy may be doing great if you go by numbers, but most professional salaries are abysmal when you look at the high cost of living, and the job market is extremely competitive.

This is all very interesting, when I first came to Argentina I was surprised that there were so many Colombians, I didn't know that beforehand. I knew that there were many Colombians in the US and in Europe but hadn't realized there were many here as well. Many definitely seem to come for the cheaper education, but also to work. Most of the ones I know cite the education, then the relative safety and also the general appeal of BsAs. I like Colombia and Colombian culture a lot but found Bogota quite stressful and not somewhere I would like to live.

Somebody is doing a good job at "selling" Colombia because I have been hearing for years about the great economy (the only country in Latin America without a recession in the last 50-60 years, competitive), the security situation getting better etc. but from reading here I understand there is much more to the story. Interesting read!

 

[EdRooney]

There is plenty of reason for this. Colombia has the largest internal refugee population in the Western Hemisphere (used to be #1 in the world, till Syria passed it last year). This is mainly due to a systematic campaign by successive Colombian governments to consolidate rural farm land for sale to large landholding concerns. Basically, peasants are being forced off of their lands by multi-nationals and paramilitaries, and they either cram into Colombia's cities or move abroad.

But hey those GDP numbers sure look great!

 

[Noruega]

Thanks Ed for these links. I did know there had been a lot of internal migration and emigration for years but I guess I always heard a more general "it's because of the violence", I didn't know about the land consolidation policies.

 

[Killarney]

It is horrible but to be fair in that article over 90% of that is caused by FARC and it's hard to blame the government for their actions.
Bogota I'm not a fan of but Medellin has tried very hard to integrate the comunas into the city with a lot of money spent on infrastructure and healthcare.

It's won awards.

http://cityminded.org/2013-innovative-city-of-the-year-6358

On the coast in Choco I think things are still tough enough.

 

[EdRooney]

"In February 2010, Human Rights Watch published a report noting that the “massacres, forced displacement and rape” are primarily committed by paramilitary organizations and not the FARC."

I'm not sure where you get your 90% figure.

 

[Killarney]

I apologize you are correct I should have said paramilitaries.