What is happening with the gringos in Colombia?
In Colombia the gringos are being rejected at least on the internet by Colombians.
What is happening with the gringos in Colombia?
In Colombia the gringos are being rejected at least on the internet by Colombians.
“gringos go home”
This situation is occurring mainly in Medellin.
Medellin has a fairly nationalist and regionalist culture.
It is not only against the gringos but also against the cachacos, costeños, etc.
Few people know that there have been desires to become independent even from Colombia.
But what are the mistakes of the gringos? Why this desire for them to leave?
The gringos have discovered that Medellin is a paradise and that they can have everything with a few dollars.
That ranges from drugs to the most beautiful women in the world.
That fame has proliferated and in view of a greater visit by foreigners to Medellin, prostitution has increased.
The paisas think it's the gringos' fault and it's not. Blame it on a culture that has always valued money above anything else.
Before, the culprits were the drug traffickers and now they are the gringos. The culprit is always someone else and they don't talk about his culture, which is always sold for dollars.
It must also be said that mistakes have been made. Let's say the gringos are famous for looking for drugs and sex in Colombia and it's true.
But sometimes the gringos are not aware of their own fame and mistakenly pretend to be the same as the rest.
For example, an announcement was made on Instagram of a gringo promoting a party in Medellin with food and free transportation.
It went viral because the wokes think they come to prostitute and desperately looking for sex.
But I know not. Surely the announcement was casual, inviting Colombians to meet people, but here, since money is needed, people think that something free has to be paid for with sex or something else.
The wokes who complained about the ad are the same ones who would have wanted to go. Do not believe everything that is trending on the internet. People seek outrage to seem like nice people but in their hearts they wish they had gone to the party. Hypocrisy.
Apart from the fault of the degenerates who always come looking for that. All this creates an imaginary that whatever a gringo does in Colombia is to have sex and drugs, even if it is not true.
However I must say that most people who complain, complain on the internet. The wokes as always cowards. You will never experience outbreaks of xenophobia in Colombia because our culture is simply not like that.
Historically it was never like that. That is precisely why we were colonized by the Spanish.
The Colombian is a friendly person who does not seek conflict. He just wants to be calm. In case something bothers him, he seeks to get away, especially with a foreigner. A Colombian is more likely to be violent with another Colombian than with a gringo. This is partly because there is a pride in Colombian culture that always seeks to look good in front of the world. Perhaps because of the fame we had for drugs and car bombs.
With foreigners I can say that there is no better reception than that offered by a Colombian. Is the nature.
You will never experience xenophobia in real life in Colombia. Impossible. So despite the trends on the internet you can rest easy and come. Just be aware of your own fame.
So my recommendation is that you be aware of your own fame.
We Colombians have a reputation for selling drugs and being violent. For this reason, if I go abroad I am not going to associate with any drugs because that increases the stereotype. Not even as a joke.
The gringos are famous for looking for sex and drugs, so they should at least try not to be seen that way. Hosting a free party by saying "cheer up girls come on over" can bring the opposite result.
If you are always aware of the stereotype you can change it and be pleasantly received in any country. The key is to be aware of how they see us before the world so as not to make mistakes that strengthen that belief.
Felt nothing but mutual respect between me and the locals in Medellin. I try (not very well) to speak Spanish and always give respect. But great article on how we’re can be perceived by the locals, did not realize and with stereotypes there’s always some truth
I agree that this hostility towards 'Gringos' is only encountered in Medellin. I was called 'Gringo' everyday in Medellin and I was only there for a week. I was in Bogota for 3 weeks and never called it once. Some fault lies with the Gringos, especially from America. Many of them refuse to learn Spanish or are too lazy = Personas vagas! I can understand how this would make the local people resentful. For me, it was a mark of respect to learn your language. I was mindful of not appearing too ostentatious: I can imagine seeing people throw money around that you might never have a chance of seeing/earning could make you very envious and angry.