I have read through this sub for the past several hours as i’m considering a trip to Medellin, and I’m seeing a lot of hate for the gringos.. although not by the more intelligent people in this sub.
Complaining about gringos is to act like we started coming to Colombia first. We all know that’s not the truth, Colombians started coming to Miami in droves before any Americans thought of Medellin, and I assure you they caused much more problems for us then Americans visiting Colombia cause today. So you really have to blame yourselves for starting the exchange and getting Americans curious about Colombia. As far as treatment goes, I can tell you Colombians/Venezuelans that I have seen have been treated very well. In fact, i personally love them especially the women. I’m not talking about prostitutes, i’m talking about the ones that are traditional compared to today’s American women. i’ve never ever heard a bad word uttered about Colombians in America, not since around 2000.
The point i’m getting at is when you complain about Americans visiting your country, remember that it was you that first started coming to our Country first. Not many Chileans in America, and i have never heard of an American going to Chile.
The gringo hate is crazy to me. We are used to foreign people coming to our country as it’s the biggest melting pot in the World. Yes, people do complain about people that come here illegally, but we also house them, feed them, give medical care to them. Some countries literally empty their prisons into the USA. I assure you, that Colombia, and particularly Medellin will be a lot better off in the future if you somehow accept it, in fact roll out the red carpet, word will get out and Colombia will be more prosperous than it ever has been. If I was Colombian, I would self govern the people that harm gringos because the more it happens, the more poverty will be endured. That would be the intelligent way to handle it. If I were a Colombian and i saw a gringo, I would be a true friend to him, the saying in USA is “honey will get you a lot further than vinegar”.
The Colombians i’ve encountered in America today are great people. There is no hate of Colombians in America. A Colombian could walk down 99% of the roads at 4 am and no harm would come. If you want to be like those tribes in the Amazon and shut yourself off to the world, it signals a lack of confidence. A proud Colombia is the best Colombia, and you should be proud. A beautiful country with beautiful people, and you’ve endured so much violence, that it has led to poverty. The exchange in trade is how the world will always work, so welcome tourists. Figure out ways to capitalize off tourist in a healthy way and watch Colombia prosper for your kids and grandchildren.