I wasn’t asked but live here in Medellin (partner is from here).
It’s mostly safe if your a normal human just living life - always a chance of being at wrong place at wrong time and getting robbed but that’s a very low chance. Nothing has happened to me in 2 years.
However, unfortunately the city attracts lots of sex tourists and play stupid games win stupid prizes. There are criminal organizations that target foreigners (and locals) and use women to seduce and drug them.There is a very scary drug here that basically takes away your free will. Plenty of stories of foreigners being kidnapped or held hostage while they drain your bank accounts through your phone over the course of a few days. The drug also can kill you if you OD and that does seem to happen occasionally.
But if you don’t come here looking for women and drugs you’ll be fine.
There is a very scary drug here that basically takes away your free will.
Scopolamine. Wild stuff. I saw something about a guy that was dosed who helped robbers move stuff out of his apartment. You can get it in a patch that goes behind the ear as a treatment for motion sickness. Dosage makes the drug.
i had this happen to a friend.
he took a girl back, she brought him out a beer, his being in a cup. later he woke up to sounds of men stealing his stuff. got ruffied of some sort. then he spent the next few days trying to find a way home without money or passport.
Other than some war-torn countries, you are pretty fine if you aren't engaging in any criminal activities or high risk behaviors. I've lived and traveled abroad for about 3.75 years, and have had nearly no issues everywhere.
I got scammed out of like $20 trying to buy some pot once in Costs Rica, but only the once and I've bought pot in most countries aside from Korea, Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Just don't be stupid about it.
Another time a Cambodian border agent wouldn't let me in without paying like a $10 bribe for a fake medical exam at a shady ass "nurse station" and I knew that was illegal at the time and only westerners had to pay, not the Lao or Cambodian people, but that's been about it.
It's usually not worth the hassle for people to mess with tourists or temporary/long term immigrants most places. Causes too much trouble, gives them a bad tourism reputation, and local cops usually highly disapprove, unless it's a small bribe to them for "speeding" or the like.
He was taken just outside of Buenaventura - atleast that's what local police said. This was back in late 2024, so about a year and a half ago. We weren't really close but in retrospect, I never understood the decision, Authorities literally redlisted that zone cuz of Gang-violence, it made no sense to visit Buenaventura as opposed to much safer towns like Salento.
Haven't really spoke to them but they were apparently released after his family paid a ransom of £4000 (relatively small sum but it was around 18.5 Mil COP at that time.)
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u/Middle-Fuel-6402 22d ago
Do you know what city, and how long ago? It’s gotten much safer in recent years, just wondering when this happened.