Is Latin America SAFE?

We get a LOT of questions about safety in Ecuador and throughout Latin America, so we included this topic in our June Member's Choice Video Poll over on Patreon and it was the overwhelming winner.

Luckily, Vision of Humanity just published the 2023 Global Peace Index earlier this week with the latest stats about peacefulness and safety around the world. That made it easy for us to highlight the safest countries in Latin America, from worst to first.

Links we mentioned in the video:

Helpful Resources:

Our AMAZING Unconventional Supporters on Patreon:
Joe Stratton
Leif Brogren
Maureen Kelly
Jennifer Hughes
Deborah Linton
Susan & Rick Joyce
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Juliette
Leigh and Carlos
Byron Jacomo
Jose and Alexandra
Stephanie Davis

DISCLAIMER: This video is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute consulting or advice including, but not limited to, visas, tax, medical, or financial advice. Please consult immigration attorneys, tax professionals, medical professionals and financial advisors for current information.

We are not responsible or liable for your use of the information contained in our videos, articles or linked from our web pages. We do our best to provide timely and accurate information. However, news, laws, guidelines, rules, regulations, etc. are often open to interpretation, change frequently, and sometimes we make mistakes. You must do your own research and consult professionals who familiar with your unique situation before making any travel or moving plans.

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[AmeliaAndJP]

Belize is not technically part of Latin America because English is the official language, but we included it because we get a lot of questions about it and it's a popular place to live in Central America.

Suriname (Dutch), Guyana (English) and French Guiana (French) are not considered part of Latin America because the official languages are not Spanish or Portuguese.

[lucchese]

I visited Peru 🇵🇪, Chile 🇨🇱, Argentina 🇦🇷, Uruguay 🇺🇾, Brazil 🇧🇷 and Mexico 🇲🇽. I never felt unsafe in any of these countries. My observations:
(1) “unsafe” varies with time so what was “safe” a few years ago may not be perceived as safe today. One needs to always check before traveling.
(2) We never get ourselves into a unsafe situation. Go where there are many people and not alone.
(3) US State Dept. tends to be VERY conservative in terms of what is safe. I always apply a little bit of salt to their ratings and warnings.

[petertosh]

I was recently in the Peoples Republic of New York, I did not feel safe there.

[Mikell-hc]

73 people shot, 11 fatally, over July fourth weekend in Chicago, just saying

[DanielBjorndahl]

I've spent about 7 months in colombia now...never had a problem. Colombians are the warmest, friendliest people I've ever met next to Brazilians. Planning on staying here...

[debbiejohnston]

I’m single and recently retired. Dental needs brought me to ajijic, Mexico. ($25, 000 usd in the states, compared to superior quality for $3, 000 usd! (They have equipment I’ve never even seen in the US!) I fell in love with the beauty, quality of life and the extraordinary people! I’m now a legal resident and in the middle of my procedure. I can live off my social security for heaven’s sake…..try that in Orlando! Best decision of my life. Plus, round trip direct flights to Orlando now! And……no politics!!!! Thank you for all your information and honest takeaways!

[timmyhumphrey]

Peru deserves to be at the top of your bucket list! I go to the country and it never ceases to surprise me, they have the best food in the world and the best landscapes in the region! I always felt safe, it's best to make friends with some locals and always pay attention to recommendations! Blessings!

[Nathavolt]

I'm Brazilian. There are many violent cities in Brazil, just as there are many violent cities in the USA, Europe, etc. The important thing is to know which neighborhoods / places in each city to avoid. There are places that are safe during the day and dangerous at night. For a foreigner to visit Brazil safely, just ask Brazilians, especially hotel receptionists, city guards and police (if you don't know how to speak Portuguese, use Google Translate and show it to Brazilian). Brazil is huge and has many regions and cities very safe as well.
Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are not the most violent capitals in Brazil (they are more talked about because they are the most visited by tourists). The capitals in the north and northeast are more violent than those in the south of the country. There is a process of migration of violence to the northern region of the country. With measures to combat organized crime in the capitals of the Southeast, factions and militias are migrating to the North.
The southern half of Brazil (states of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul) is more developed and less violent than the northern half.
The safest state is São Paulo, followed by the states of Santa Catarina and Minas Gerais (2021 data) and after them comes the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
There are many cities and tourist regions that are very safe to visit in Brazil, such as:
1) Cities with a strong influence of German descendants: Gramado/RS, Canela/RS, Nova Petrópolis/RS, Blumenau/SC, Pomerode/SC
2) Cities with a strong influence of Italian descendants: region of Bento Gonçalves/RS (vineyards) and Antonio Prado/RS (considered the most Italian city in Brazil)
3) City with a strong influence of Ukrainian descendants: Prudentópolis/PR (region of giant waterfalls)
4) Cambará do Sul/RS: small town that is one of the bases for visiting the region's canyons (Aparados da Serra National Park).
5) Urubici/SC: small town that is one of the bases for visiting the mountains of Santa Catarina (São Joaquim National Park)
6) Bom Jardim da Serra: small town that is another base to visit the mountains of Santa Catarina and close to the Serra do Rio do Rastro.
7) Coastal cities such as: Florianópolis/SC (island), Bombinhas/SC, Balneário Camburiú/SC, the entire north coast of São Paulo (from Santos to Picinguaba, with emphasis on Ilha Bela), Paraty/RJ, Ilha Grande/RJ .
8) Historical cities such as: Morretes/PR (taking the train that goes down the Atlantic Forest from Curitiba), Paraty/RJ, Petrópolis/RJ, Tiradentes/MG, Ouro Preto/MG
9) Thermal waters such as: Jurema Águas Quentes (Águas de Jurema - Iretama/PR), Caldas Novas/GO, Pousada do Rio Quente/GO, Plaza Caldas da Imperatriz Resort & SPA (Santo Amaro da Imperatriz/SC).
However, no cities are 100% safe, so it is always recommended to consult locals about city/region safety.

[BigSlimyBlob]

It truly depends on where exactly you are in any given country. I spent months in Colombia and, while I took basic precautions and stayed vigilant, I never actually felt unsafe.

[Shmerpy]

In the last 3 years I've traveled through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Ecuador, and Mexico. Never felt threatened anywhere; had a great time.

[OrbitRex]

Can’t believe that ranking! Nicaragua is much safer than Costa Rica. My family used to live there, my sister got robbed 3 times, also all the neighbors got home incursion robberies.

[robine]

Other countries don’t recommend visiting the USA!

[jameshaddan]

I was just in Peru in May: was in Mira Flores and Barranco districts in Lima, Cusco for 4 days, a 7 day Salkantay trek, and then 2 1/2 days at Machu Picchu. It was fabulous, and I felt very safe. Also the civil unrest, at least in those areas, was not in evidence. I realize that may not be the case in some other areas. I’m off to Mexico City in August, staying in Polanco.

[cristophersanchez]

I was in Lima and Cuzco in February of this year and the truth is that I had a very beautiful time. Lima is safe in the Miraflores and Barranco area, at night I went for a walk without worries and there were people walking too. It's a night city, there is a lot to do in Lima. I was also very lucky because when I arrived the protests had already ended. I highly recommend Peru!

[cerirees]

Nobody ever mentions Guyana, Suriname or French Guiana. They are like South America's secret garden. :)

[roadboat]

Thanks for the info. I have lived in Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela, and Mexico. I have visited and worked short term 1=3 wks in the DR, Puerto Rico, and Argentina. I am a white American. My favorite is Panama. Much better and safer than Costa Rica. The infrastructure is much better. Costa Rica has a relatively poor infrastructure, crooked police, etc. I was in Columbia when it was at it’s worst. 1988-90. And Venezuela when it was strong and doing well in the early 1989-91. But again in 98-99 when it was really going down hill fast.

Lived in Mexico in 1999 and again in 2004-7. Never felt in danger in Mexico (but clearly there are areas of Mexico that are quite dangerous), and Panama or Costa Rica. Columbia was very dangerous when I was there but was under the watchful eye of my client. (I worked in entertainment). Also sailed my boat with my wife and I as crew to most of these countries. Loved Cartagena. I have been robed at gun point twice! But in a pretty dangerous country, The USA.

[CondeDuraluminio]

If you talk about the safe of a country, you are making a generalization, actually if you live in a country for example Peru in Lima, there are districts where the safe is greater than others, because there are some districts that are middle class or upper middle class and others that are below middle class, and the safest districts are the ones identified as middle class/upper middle class and above...

[kevingarrison]

Hola Amelia and JP. My wife and I live in Ibague Colombia and really enjoy watching your videos. We've been here 3 years, traveled a very large portion of the country, mainly in our own car, and have never had a crime perpetrated against us. We've traveled rural and big city alike. My wife is Colombian so she is more aware potentially to danger but we simply follow common sense rules here that one would follow in any place where crime is a risk. We don't go out late into dark lonely areas, we stay out of known bad neighborhoods, we don't DAR PAPAYA, meaning no flashing of cash, jewelry, cell phones, etc. We don't go to bars or become intoxicated. People who are victims here are ones who don't follow these rules. Colombia is ranked the 3rd most beautiful on earth, the 2nd in biodiversity, and 1st in birds species. There are so many safe, beautiful pueblos outside the big cities and midsized cities like Ibague have advantages over the bigger places like Bogotá and Medellín. My mother had an Aortic Valve Replacement at 79 on the EPS system and her bill was $2 USD. It's frustrating to rank these LA countries by the measures, resources used to create your video. I know it's a responsible thing to present it that way but so inadequate to present reality. The truth is what would have been most unsafe for me was to keep working mandatory 60 plus hour weeks in the USA!

[chasesquiresecuador]

The state department's levels of warning are always weird to me. In Tampa a 7-year-old was shot dead in a gun battle on a beach this week, just people in a dispute over jet skis and a kid gets killed. Sad.. The State Department in June issued a level 4 warning about an Ecuadorian city I was just in, Quevedo in the same month. Granted, Quevedo isn't exactly a must see for gringos, but I was there. It's loud and busy, but folks were nice. Glad I saw it, won't be back. But I never felt unsafe. I'd feel more unsafe in parts of Florida where people have guns and use them to settle minor issues. Just weird. I found Santiago and Mendoza a little dull. To each their own. Take these "warnings" with a grain of salt. Florida is pretty dangerous.

[brianmagazu]

It's been a while, but I loved Chile and Argentina and never felt unsafe visiting there. I also went to Panama recently, which also felt quite safe. There are parts of Jacksonville where I life in Florida that nobody should visit, and the most dangerous place I ever visited was Baltimore, MD followed by Atlanta, GA. I had a motor-theft experience in Naples, Italy akin to yours from Mexico. It certainly colored my opinion of the city, but being out at night and not paying attention to surroundings was clearly the central ingredient. Great video as always. Thanks guys!