WanderingTrader

How is Buenos Aires Dangerous? Kidnappings and Muggings: Update

buenos aires architecture, churches in buenos airesSix weeks have now past in my life in Buenos Aires and I have seen quite a bit.  Almost every weekend I have travelled to a different part of Buenos Aires and a different city to be able to get to know the country, its people, and its culture.

I’ve made numerous friends and since my last post on the safety in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires is changing visit before its too late, I have realized that there is a false sense of security in the city.  I have gotten a lot of heat on that post so I wanted to follow up with what I have experienced in the last few weeks.

Yes all this is recent

I have friends that live in the city, for years, and they have even been victim to some of the dangers that you should be careful of.  These are Argentinians who have lived in the city all their life, not someone who just arrived yesterday.  Now it’s not Nigeria dangerous but the city is far from United States safe.  Many ask is Buenos Aires dangerous?  I can only answer that it’s safer than most of the cities in South America but you still need to have caution when getting around the city.

There have been two separate cases of kidnappings that I have been aware of, all from the family of close friends.  The first was a teenager who was kidnapped and killed.  Yes, you read that correct, he was kidnapped and killed.

The second gentleman is from Argentina and was part of an attempted kidnapping but due to the six foot linebacker body that this man was blessed with, he simply was too big to fit into the small European car trunk.  I do find it funny that they tried to kidnap him and they kept hitting him over the head with the trunk door, he still laughs to this day, but get serious this is no laughing matter!

plaza de congresso, buenos aires statue

My theory is that they target the very upper class in the highest class areas of Buenos Aires.  They seem to know when and where to be at a certain time and I wouldn’t be surprised with the corruption in the city that the police have something to do with it.

Rest assured that if you are dressed in a tourist t-shirt and shorts, the likely-hood of you getting kidnapped is extremely low.

Going out to party with friends and taking your camera out to take pictures isn’t going to raise a red flag.  You should be very aware of your surroundings and don’t flash your fancy cell phone or camera.  Use it when you need and then put it in your pocket.

When walking at night if you are in a group of 2 or more they aren’t going to mess with you, unless of course you are walking away from the group which leads me to my next story.

plaza congresso statue, buenos aires statuesJust last night I went home early from the festivities that were going to take over Palermo Soho.  We were a group of about 7 and had the VIP area reserved.  I went home to be responsible since I already pulled my share of all nighters over the weekend.  This morning I woke up with a text message “we had a great time until we got mugged”.

Upon further clarification, one of the girls in the group was walking behind everyone and two Argentineans came and mugged her at knife point.  Good news is nothing happened to her and they only took her cell phone, she’s gangster!  All 4 feet 11 inches of her!  You know the popular Nokia phones that were viral in the 1990’s?

Yes that fancy piece of technology was taken.  No biggie.

The point is that Buenos Aires is changing and you have to be careful when you get to the city, is Buenos Aires Dangerous?  I would say yes if you aren’t paying attention.  Some people just are asking to get robbed.  You don’t have to avoid taking pictures or talking to people, you simply have to keep an extra eye open on your surroundings.

If you are walking alone at night, walk with a pace, I cannot count the amount of times I was completely alone walking home; texting, Facebook-ing, Twitter-ing (is that a word? I know its tweeting but that was funnier admit it).  I always keep an extra eye out on my surroundings; who is watching me, if anyone is following, if I should get her phone number, wait? What? I guess that’s the end of this post…..

79 Comments

  1. Catherine, bless you for your comment. I would be more than happy to take a financial contribution from you. Would you like my paypal address? Im extremely excited to inform you that we aim please here at wanderingtrader.com You definitely should come visit when Im in Africa next year, you sound like a truly educated world traveller.

    1. jajaja, nice return comment, loved it! Anytime you tell the truth their is always some people who will call you a bigot because so. I mean who wants to read a happy flowery travel blog 24/7 anyways??? “Ahh, this place is so perfect, beautiful and it’s like heaven…” Boring! I think you wrote a fair article and highlighted something that most haven’t been, so thanks for that!

  2. Wow, I was not expecting to learn all that! I always knew it wasn’t overly safe (like you said, it is safer than most cities in SA). But I guess it’s just a travel reminder to be cautious anywhere you are!
    Thanks for the info man!

    1. Your welcome thanks for the comment. I went to Iguazu and I heard a lot of stories from travellers to BA that i have never heard before. I dont know if its because I look Spanish or because I’m careful but Im lucky nothing has happened to me yet. Always best to keep an extra eye out.

      1. Well the fact you look Spanish has nothing to do with it!!! BTW you won’t find many Spaniards living in Argentina! Argentinians come in all colors and shapes!!!! (my Argentinian boyfriend is blond with blue eyes!!!)
        I live in Rosario and yes you have to be careful but not paranoid!!!!

        1. I loooved Rosario.. very good looking ppl from there. The most beautiful ppl in Argentina I have found in Rosario and Cordoba, and thats the first time I have heard I look spanish… lol. thanks for the comment

    1. Keith, prices have gone up 30% (on a lot of items) and they just instituted a new 20% bus tax on all bus fares. I think that things are beginning already. Currently the farmer’s are one strike and much of the steak that comes into the country is from Uruguay. I think Salta will be a different experience since its not as large of a city, Iguazu Falls for example you dont have to think twice about. Completely safe there.

  3. I dont think you will have as many problems because you dont have blonde hair and blue eyes!! LOL. But I would still highly recommend you keep an eye out. My sister was just here and she didn’t have any problems and she is brunette but she does speak spanish.

  4. I dont think you will have as many problems because you dont have blonde hair and blue eyes!! LOL. But I would still highly recommend you keep an eye out. My sister was just here and she didn’t have any problems and she is brunette but she does speak spanish.

    1. My daughter was robbed very easily. She was drinking with friends and drinking at 4 am around Soho. Lost every thing,
      Credit cards, fancy phone and her ID. The
      Bandits had it easy because she was moderately drunk, speaking English and being super relaxed. Maybe she thought she was in her living room and not in Buenos Aires. The criminals barely touched her. Effortless operation for them. As a mom I was incredibly thankful that nothing happened to her or her friends. But I am incredibly frustrated at her lack of street- smarts. Scary!!!

  5. hey Leslie no I haven’t seen any stats on the crime but a lot of people that I have spoken to have all had problems. Either they had a crazy situation, attempted mugging, or something similar. I know things are a lot better from the crisis in 2001, im amazed that you actually came here during that!! but with the country living on reserves at the moment I can only anticipate things to get much worse. I asked the Brazilian police at the border when I went to Iguazu why they are so tight at the border now and they said because the they have had a lot of probs with argentine’s coming over into Brazil.

    1. If one does actually take the time to look at statistics, overall crime is down several points year on year and violent crime has only increased by about 1 point. WanderingTrader, the country is not actually living on reserves but they have been using up a lot of them purchasing dollars each month to artificially devalue the peso, but that has been happening since Nester took office and is old news here and not considered a relevant factor when it comes to crime and safety.

  6. I’m currently reading “Dead or Alive” by Geoff Thompson, which is a very interesting read into the psychology of muggers, kidnappers, rapists and murderers.

    Being mindful of your surroundings and not letting your guard down is a sure way to steer clear of most trouble:
    most evil doers will simply stay away from a “hard target” that seems to be confident, assertive and aware in their body language.

    Also, a lot of potentially dangerous people will try to engage your brain to get you to switch off by asking anything from the time, to if you “have a light” or know the directions to some place then either threaten you or whack you over the head.
    It’s sad, but the truth is the safest way to stay out of trouble is to adopt a persona of unfriendliness to strangers who come up for no good reason on the streets.
    I think I got myself out of some potential sticky situations on my own two month visit to Buenos Aires by simply being uncurteous to some people in the street who seemed “off”.

    Looking aware, confident and assertive, not switching off or stopping for strangers in the street is about 80% of staying safe in any environment or situation, for the rest, there’s a strong kick in the nuts.

    1. Willie I dont think i could have said it better myself this is an excellent comment. I was very lucky not to have any problems in Buenos Aires and I think one of the reasons why was because i always walked and acted like I knew what i was doing…. Great comment

  7. Interesting to hear your experiences .. I’ve really never traveled through a city where I’ve felt unsafe, which always leads me to believe the world is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. I’ve heard plenty of stories about Central and South America that lead me to believe one really needs to be aware of their surroundings while traveling there.

      1. the crime that is being reported… the Argentina government doesn’t report everything and you shouldn’t trust the numbers either. Inflation is well over 30% while the govt says its only 10%.

        1. I have never been talking about government figures and the stats I am referring to include many crimes not reported to authorities. Please, do not leap to assumptions merely to look correct. We are simply trying to convey our individual perceptions here – it is not a contest.

  8. We all have our own unique experience with Buenos Aires derived from our personal history and how we choose to perceive life here, so opinions do vary regarding safety and security in the city.

    As a matter of background, I have travelled the USA extensively in my capacity as a project manager working in “new store development” and “corporate acquisitions” for a Fortune 500 Company for nearly 10 years. I have never counted, but am sure I have worked in 40 different states and in just about every major metropolitan area in the USA and I have visited every state but Alaska. I also lived in Europe for nearly 4 years and experienced a variety of metro areas there as well and have traveled throughout Mexico and Canada.

    In my experience, I have found Buenos Aires to be the safest city I have ever spent much time in. (I would like to stress the fact that this is only my opinion based on my own personal experience in living here for over 4 years. Your experience and that of others obviously could differ based on circumstance and perception.) Statistically, Buenos Aires is safer than cities thought to be very safe in the USA to include Denver and San Diego.

    Buenos Aires is, by most ranking organizations, the 10th largest metropolitan area globally – making it larger than Los Angeles. Obviously there is crime here and one needs to be cautious, but I do not feel I need to take any additional precautions here over those I would use in any major city anywhere else in the world.

    With this in mind, I strongly disagree with the notion that people have a false sense of security here. People I know are very aware of the dangers inherent in a city this large and speaking for myself, I have always had a healthy respect for the dangers inherent in certain parts of town and at certain times of the night. I also respectfully have to disagree with the notion that “the city is far from United States safe”. I have lived here over 4 years now and with a little common sense, I have found Buenos Aires to be much safer than most cities in the USA and it is the safest place I have ever lived in the world, big city or small town.

    Yes, there is crime here and it is indeed on the rise but in my opinion no more so than anywhere else in the world. We are living in tough times. I remember on Bob Dylan’s first album he had a song where he spoke of the crime in NYC. The song is Talkin’ New York and here is a great line:

    A lot of people don’t have much food on their table
    But they got a lot of forks ’n’ knives
    And they gotta cut somethin’

    The point is there is crime in every large city in the world and one should always take care when visiting or living here.

    As an aside, I went back to your blog and read another article of yours on Buenos Aires, the one entitled: Is Argentina Dangerous? The Best Buenos Aires Barrios. I thought while I was already addressing your other article, I would include a few thoughts about this one at the same time.

    You started out talking about perceptions regarding Latin America in general and you mention “the ‘eccentric’ new president of Venezuela is always in the news, and the new president of Bolivia has also caused quite a stir”.

    First of all, Hugo Chavez has been in power as president of Venezuela since 1999, so I am not sure what you are talking about in conjunction with the “new” president unless you consider being in office nearly 12 years as being new. Eva Morales has been president of Bolivia since 2006 and I hardly consider him to be new either.

    Secondly, sure the president of Bolivia has caused quite a stir, but mainly due to factors unrelated to crime and the perception of safety, factors such as: being the first elected president of Bolivia, being indigenous (I believe the first indigenous president elected in Latin America), his push to redistribute wealth in Bolivia with its gas resources and through land reforms. He is also the titular leader of a movement in Bolivia resisting attempts by the USA to eradicate coca in central Boliva making him the target of a lot of conjecture, and in my opinion media driven propoganda. His position on the matter has been that there is a vast difference between coca and cocaine. Speaking to the BBC on the matter he noted: “I am not a drug trafficker. I am a coca grower. I cultivate coca leaf, which is a natural product. I do not refine (it into) cocaine, and neither cocaine nor drugs have ever been part of the Andean culture.” The General Assembly of the United Nations holds him high regards naming him “World Hero of Mother Earth” in late 2009. With all that in mind, I fail to see any relevant “stir” that is related to crime or safety in Latin America.

    As to your commentary on individual barrios, I have a few comments as well.

    In my opinion Recoleta is not the trendiest barrio in town, rather I think Palermo Viejo holds that crown. I also disagree that it is “[n]ot the best of locations in terms of Argentina tourist attractions”. Recoleta is considered a very significant tourist area with strong historic and cultural influences and parks. Recoleta is home to the famous Recoleta Cemetery, the Church of Nuestra Señora del Pilar built in 1732, National Fine Arts Museum or Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, the National Library of Argentina, the Recoleta Cultural Center, the Monastery of the Recollect Fathers, the Palais de Glace a multimedia exhibition center, Carlos Thays Park, Centro Municipal de Exposiciones. There are several tango cabarets there to include the noted Pabellón de las Rosas, on Libertador. The barrio is known for its sculptures, French architecture and lovely green spaces.

    I have to respectfully disagree that Palermo is far from activity and it is simply incorrect to note it is “the farthest of all the Buenos Aires barrios”. Going towards the north, once you depart Palermo there is Belgrano and then Nunez before one departs Capital Federal and if you are talking the metropolitan area, it take over half an hour by train to reach the outskirts of town from the Palermo station.

    While I agree that San Telmo is one of the older parts of the city, it is not necessarily true that one will find “true Buenos Aires” there. For one thing, with nearly 14 million persons and having been established in 1536, Buenos Aires is an incredibly complex city and I do not believe one can define any one characteristic or location as being “true Buenos Aires”. If you are talking about an older and more run down part of town; if you are talking about dimly lit narrow roads and high crime; if you are talking about touristic locations like Plaza Dorrego and lots of tourist driven tango cabarets – then “Yes” San Telmo is the real deal. However, I would not be so quick to sell Buenos Aires so short by saying San Telmo is the “real” BsAs.

    I have to disagree with you regarding Puerto Madero as lots of people in fact stay there with an annual occupancy rate of over 80%.

    Last but not least Microcentro is not the center of the city, rather Caballito is the geographic center of town. However, Microcentro is the business district (the term “centro” in this regard refers to business center and not location).

    I appreciate that you took the time to blog your journey around the globe and I wish you the best. However, our purpose in writing and sharing on this forum is hopefully to give people both meaningful and accurate information and I hope I have helped clear up any confusion.

    1. All valid points but the tourists that I have met while living in Buenos Aires thought it was safe until their first bad experience. In the United States there are plenty of bad areas in a city but not bad as a whole. In Buenos Aires I have found that you always have to keep an extra set of eyes on your back thats why all the women walk around with their hands on their purse. While pickpockets and thieves are around in any big city I would keep an extra eye on my things in Buenos Aires in comparison to San Diego or Denver.

      I would caution you to believe the “statistics” that are run by the Argentine government in terms of crime. This is the same government that says inflation is 10% when while living in Buenos Aires I experienced well over 30%.

      You may find the other cities less safe because they are new to you and you didn’t spend that much time in each and are accustomed to the life in Buenos Aires. I have lived in many cities around the world for an extended period of time and can say, from experience and from other friends that have spent their lives in Buenos Aires, that it is a dangerous city. Not only because it is big but because things are starting to get back in the country

      1. I am not some naive child. I am well aware of the statistical distortions put out by the government and anyone who has been here more than 5 minutes knows about the manipulation of inflationary statistics. In my time here prices have more than doubled with is consistent with the figures of around 33-34% published by independent organizations.

        I have worked in 40 states in the USA and spent considerable time in most major U.S. city. I understand safety and crime are subjective in nature so speaking just for myself, it has been my experience that for the most part the bad areas are far greater in the USA than here in Buenos Aires and I personally feel much safer here than I do in any city in the USA.

        Their are issues with pickpockets here, particularly with tourist and upper income areas which explains the people with backpacks turned around backwards and hands on purses. I do the very same, but then again I do so in Houston, Chicago, Detroit, Boston, NYC, Jersey, etc. It is a bit of a stretch to say a problem with pickpockets and motochorros constitutes a safety issue. It is simply property crime for the most part.

        I have spent considerable time in cities globally as well and I will have to simply disagree with your simple dismissal of my opinion. I would also point out that I have been here since 2006 and think the scope of my experience here warrants a bit more credit than you are willing to concede.

        I do appreciate the fact you have taken the time to explain, but possibly you could take an equal amount of time to consider that as a Buenos Aires insider now I may know a thing or two about the city that trumps a few week vacation.

  9. We all have our own unique experience with Buenos Aires derived from our personal history and how we choose to perceive life here, so opinions do vary regarding safety and security in the city.

    As a matter of background, I have travelled the USA extensively in my capacity as a project manager working in “new store development” and “corporate acquisitions” for a Fortune 500 Company for nearly 10 years. I have never counted, but am sure I have worked in 40 different states and in just about every major metropolitan area in the USA and I have visited every state but Alaska. I also lived in Europe for nearly 4 years and experienced a variety of metro areas there as well and have traveled throughout Mexico and Canada.

    In my experience, I have found Buenos Aires to be the safest city I have ever spent much time in. (I would like to stress the fact that this is only my opinion based on my own personal experience in living here for over 4 years. Your experience and that of others obviously could differ based on circumstance and perception.) Statistically, Buenos Aires is safer than cities thought to be very safe in the USA to include Denver and San Diego.

    Buenos Aires is, by most ranking organizations, the 10th largest metropolitan area globally – making it larger than Los Angeles. Obviously there is crime here and one needs to be cautious, but I do not feel I need to take any additional precautions here over those I would use in any major city anywhere else in the world.

    With this in mind, I strongly disagree with the notion that people have a false sense of security here. People I know are very aware of the dangers inherent in a city this large and speaking for myself, I have always had a healthy respect for the dangers inherent in certain parts of town and at certain times of the night. I also respectfully have to disagree with the notion that “the city is far from United States safe”. I have lived here over 4 years now and with a little common sense, I have found Buenos Aires to be much safer than most cities in the USA and it is the safest place I have ever lived in the world, big city or small town.

    Yes, there is crime here and it is indeed on the rise but in my opinion no more so than anywhere else in the world. We are living in tough times. I remember on Bob Dylan’s first album he had a song where he spoke of the crime in NYC. The song is Talkin’ New York and here is a great line:

    A lot of people don’t have much food on their table
    But they got a lot of forks ’n’ knives
    And they gotta cut somethin’

    The point is there is crime in every large city in the world and one should always take care when visiting or living here.

    As an aside, I went back to your blog and read another article of yours on Buenos Aires, the one entitled: Is Argentina Dangerous? The Best Buenos Aires Barrios. I thought while I was already addressing your other article, I would include a few thoughts about this one at the same time.

    You started out talking about perceptions regarding Latin America in general and you mention “the ‘eccentric’ new president of Venezuela is always in the news, and the new president of Bolivia has also caused quite a stir”.

    First of all, Hugo Chavez has been in power as president of Venezuela since 1999, so I am not sure what you are talking about in conjunction with the “new” president unless you consider being in office nearly 12 years as being new. Eva Morales has been president of Bolivia since 2006 and I hardly consider him to be new either.

    Secondly, sure the president of Bolivia has caused quite a stir, but mainly due to factors unrelated to crime and the perception of safety, factors such as: being the first elected president of Bolivia, being indigenous (I believe the first indigenous president elected in Latin America), his push to redistribute wealth in Bolivia with its gas resources and through land reforms. He is also the titular leader of a movement in Bolivia resisting attempts by the USA to eradicate coca in central Boliva making him the target of a lot of conjecture, and in my opinion media driven propoganda. His position on the matter has been that there is a vast difference between coca and cocaine. Speaking to the BBC on the matter he noted: “I am not a drug trafficker. I am a coca grower. I cultivate coca leaf, which is a natural product. I do not refine (it into) cocaine, and neither cocaine nor drugs have ever been part of the Andean culture.” The General Assembly of the United Nations holds him high regards naming him “World Hero of Mother Earth” in late 2009. With all that in mind, I fail to see any relevant “stir” that is related to crime or safety in Latin America.

    As to your commentary on individual barrios, I have a few comments as well.

    In my opinion Recoleta is not the trendiest barrio in town, rather I think Palermo Viejo holds that crown. I also disagree that it is “[n]ot the best of locations in terms of Argentina tourist attractions”. Recoleta is considered a very significant tourist area with strong historic and cultural influences and parks. Recoleta is home to the famous Recoleta Cemetery, the Church of Nuestra Señora del Pilar built in 1732, National Fine Arts Museum or Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, the National Library of Argentina, the Recoleta Cultural Center, the Monastery of the Recollect Fathers, the Palais de Glace a multimedia exhibition center, Carlos Thays Park, Centro Municipal de Exposiciones. There are several tango cabarets there to include the noted Pabellón de las Rosas, on Libertador. The barrio is known for its sculptures, French architecture and lovely green spaces.

    I have to respectfully disagree that Palermo is far from activity and it is simply incorrect to note it is “the farthest of all the Buenos Aires barrios”. Going towards the north, once you depart Palermo there is Belgrano and then Nunez before one departs Capital Federal and if you are talking the metropolitan area, it take over half an hour by train to reach the outskirts of town from the Palermo station.

    While I agree that San Telmo is one of the older parts of the city, it is not necessarily true that one will find “true Buenos Aires” there. For one thing, with nearly 14 million persons and having been established in 1536, Buenos Aires is an incredibly complex city and I do not believe one can define any one characteristic or location as being “true Buenos Aires”. If you are talking about an older and more run down part of town; if you are talking about dimly lit narrow roads and high crime; if you are talking about touristic locations like Plaza Dorrego and lots of tourist driven tango cabarets – then “Yes” San Telmo is the real deal. However, I would not be so quick to sell Buenos Aires so short by saying San Telmo is the “real” BsAs.

    I have to disagree with you regarding Puerto Madero as lots of people in fact stay there with an annual occupancy rate of over 80%.

    Last but not least Microcentro is not the center of the city, rather Caballito is the geographic center of town. However, Microcentro is the business district (the term “centro” in this regard refers to business center and not location).

    I appreciate that you took the time to blog your journey around the globe and I wish you the best. However, our purpose in writing and sharing on this forum is hopefully to give people both meaningful and accurate information and I hope I have helped clear up any confusion.

  10. Looking at actual crime statistics, last month there was an 8 point decrease in overall crime from the figures from the year before which was also 2 points lower than the figures of the previous month. Violent crime is up only 1 point in year on year rankings and slightly higher than the previous month.

    If you want to talk about murder rates, the latest figures show Buenos Aires with 4.92 people murdered for every 100,000 people in the city last year, which is lower than a broad range of major cities except for Toronto, where the rate was only 2.47.

    Polls do show that crime is the number one concern of Argentine citizens surpassing concerns about inflation and the economy. Clearly crime is higher in the larger urban areas such as Buenos Aires with studies showing the safest areas in Argentina are small towns of less than 10,00 persons and the worst areas are urban centers of more than 500,000.

    1. I would caution you to listen to the stats created by the corrupt Argentine government. You never hear about kidnappings in Buenos Aires also, when I personally know 3 ppl that have already experienced this. Says a lot about the trust you should place in the news.

      1. I am actually talking about independent statistics. Obviously the government plays with stats, all you have to do is look at what they are doing with their inflationary reports which is one of the reasons they are considered such a high investment risk by most rating organizations.

        And you are incorrect, I hear about kidnappings here. Again, I have lived here since 2006 and have a pretty good idea what is happening – not to mention the fact a lot of my work is in journalism and economics.

      2. I place no trust in the news, nor do I in government generated statistics. Rather I am talking about figures reported by other organizations respected as reflecting accurate figures.

  11. I have lived in Buenos Aires for over 4 years now and have not observed anything even remotely resembling that. Statistically, Buenos Aires is much safer than most cities in the USA and I certainly feel safer here than most places I have been in the world. But then again,l I have lived here for a while and I think one has a different perspective when living somewhere long term than they do just passing through for a few days, weeks or months.

  12. I follow the Yahoo group…I am married to a Porteño, who also happens to be in law enforcement in BsAs (22 yrs). We/he don’t live in Capital, actually in Haedo, in a nice little neighborhood. I spent last April through June there (work has me elsewhere now), meeting neighbors, exploring, and talking with other folks who work with my husband. Originally I chalked up all of the security warnings to their line of work, they only see the worst, etc….but there ARE many incidents that never make it into the news and also don’t make it into the statistics. We would come home after dark with the vehicle lights off, wait for any vehicles that were behind us to pass or turn off, before we approached the house and the garage. We’d pull in, he’d jump out and open the garage, and I would slide over and drive the vehicle in. There are two bullet holes from a prior robbery/house jacking attempt a few years ago as testimony, and also, fortunately, two dead thugs. (I thought this was paranoia until I found out that other friends in Capital cruise their street, call the maid to open the gate and garage, and then scurry in). This isn’t confined to Capital, my inlaws live in a very quiet area near Lujan, and there is a section of road that people set up on and wait at night, posing as injured, or with car trouble. I could go on and on, with more anecdotes (neighbors who warned me to not run after dark, other horror stories, etc.). BsAs is not the same as it was before the “big crash” and as Wandering Traveler puts it, stay alert, and don’t travel alone where you can avoid it. For the record, I’m no “target”, I am 5’10” and military, fluent in Spanish, very well traveled, and I still was warned by countless friends, family, and aquaintances, almost all of them living in Capital, and as la Presidente fails to take charge, things are going to get worse before they get better. Keep your eyes open and enjoy an otherwise amazing country and most wonderful people.

  13. Crn I completely agree with you. I lived in Buenos Aires and traveled throughout Argentina for well over 4 months. I can give you a realistic statement that the country is dangerous and it will only get worse over time as the economy collapses.

  14. I was lucky not to encounter any problems but I also took a lot of precautions.. I have the advantage that I can fit in as a porteno as long as I dress the right way and change my accent a bit.. Im glad to you hear that you didn’t have any trouble! I know a lot of people that have had many problems in argentina.. muggings being one of them

  15. depends what is it that you show, what do you look like.I dont think thieves will harm you.Just dont think about it,and if someone approaches at night , then that its exactly what you need to avoid.it is NOT a violent place.i am a local and i had been stolen a few times (or almost) in all five continents.Here only once.

  16. With all due respect, your blog is one of the worst and unfriendly I’ve
    ever read. You generalize and stereotype countries (which does NOT
    contribute to understanding among them -you should aim to this as a
    world traveler-).  You have a very narrow viewpoint (you think that
    travelling around a country for a few months entitles you to pass a sort
    of definite judgement on a certain place, like your “Buenos Aires is
    dangerous”). Please do some more research, DO TALK  to the locals, and
    compare opinions and judgements. Argentina is a very big country. I’ve been living in Buenos Aires for a few years now, but I grew up in a small town where people still leave their doors unlocked and you can go for a walk late at night and nobody will harm you. I also lived in Cordoba, and trust me we are not “dogs that were beaten too many times” shame on you for agreeing with that narrow-minded comment. You are a prejudiced person with a serious distortion of reality. You have NOT learn a thing about Argentina, and you are a bad “ambassador” of your own country. What you are doing here is providing misleading information that some people may trust in, and you are provoking hatred and paranoia. “United States safe”? Hilarious.

    1. I base my opinions on not just what I know but on what people tell me that I interact with in the city… that post was based on the life of Argentineans that have been living in Buenos Aires all their life. If you dont think that city is dangerous then you are clearly living in a bubble. I lived in Buenos Aires for over 4 mos and delved well into the culture and spoke to nothing but locals. Every single time I have visited the city is has gotten worse…. I choose to be honest on my blog which is the reason I get so much traffic.

  17. “I dont think you will have as many problems because you dont have blonde hair and blue eyes!!” Really? Not only narrow-minded but also racist and ignorant! People in Argentina are from very varied ethnicities (you could have bothered to study our history first). My sister is a green eyed 5.5′ blonde, I’m a white, dark-haired 5.7′ girl. All my cousins have blonde hair and blue eyes, and I have a lot of friends that look very different (my best friend is white, and she has red hair, for example). So, you haven’t even looked around! I can’t believe you have been in so many countries and, I repeat, you have learned NOTHING. It has nothing to do with how you look, but with the stupidity of hanging out in dangerous areas, or wandering around late at night with a camera worth a 1000 dollars hanging from your neck, or wearing ridiculously colorful shirts (because you are in South America, and you picked up this idea that we dress ridiculously form some Hollywood movie stereotype- by the way, what’s the meaning of “dressing like a porteño”? ), which makes you the perfect target for a mugging, or pickpocketing. Yes, you made a ground breaking discovery; Argentina is not a rich country, Buenos Aires has a crime rate similar to all the big cities in the world but that does NOT mean that we live unhappy and in a state of paranoia. Don’t worry we’re not going to pee in our pants because we hear someone running behind us as “EditorialExperts” (another ignorant said), that probably happened to him when a non-blonde non blue-eyed kid approached him to sell something on the metro. Believe me, I’ve seen some English-speaking tourists freaking out and pulling a terrified face, when some kid stood too close to them handing out pens or socks he or she actually sells.
    Eduardo Galeano, a writer from Uruguay, said in the book “Patas arriba” (which I STRONGLY recommend you to read): “Quien no está preso de la necesidad, está preso del miedo: unos no duermen por la ansiedad de tener las cosas que no tienen, y otros no duermen por el pánico de perder las cosas que tienen.”

  18. Kristin.. I have been to Somalia.. South Sudan, was born and raised in one of the most dangerous countries in the world.. Venezuela. Are there ways to stay out of danger and harms way? Absolutely.. I never had a problem in BA but its because I was very careful.. and every traveler should know that

  19. Thanks for this piece of information! My family and I, along with a couple of family friends, are planning to do a South America tour next year, so I’m glad I stumbled upon this post of yours. Not that I’m discouraged to visit Buenos Aires in any way because of your stories and warnings, but at least you made me aware of what’s going on in there. Sounds pretty much like what we have here in Manila actually – not entirely dangerous/unsafe but there is a need to be cautious. We’ll make sure to keep ourselves alert while at the same time, staying open and appreciative of the cultures and people there. 🙂

    1. Just keep an eye out and you should be okay.. the city is deceiving at how safe it is but if you keep an eye out you should be okay. Thanks for the comment!

  20. guys, something you should know and no one tells you when you arrive to argentina. DON’T ACT LIKE A TOURIST. don’t look at a map for 2 hs in the middle of the street, don’t show us your camera hanging on your neck, that’s like an invitation to get robbed. seriously. last year a french photographer came to buenos aires and as he was about to board a train to go to Patagonia, he crossed a little park in front of the train station (Retiro, you’re warned) and some kids who inhabitate that area tried to take the camera away from him and he got stabbed. he died, in front of a lot of people and even security cameras!
    so please take care of yourselves and your things.
    also, if you’re visiting La Boca or any tourist attraction, please don’t stray from the tourist streets, please remember that. my family’s friends (argentinian too but living in italy) came to visit and went to la boca, they walked two blocks away from the tourist side and they got mugged. lost camera, phones and even passports. and they knew where they were, they had lived 30 years here but still got distracted and it wasn’t a real pleasant visit.

    1. HAHAHAHA Candela.. you are so right. You know its funny.. here in Rio there are Brazilians that tell me that people get robbed people they do stupid things like get drunk and then not know how to get home. I agree with you 100%

  21. Being from BA I can honestly say that this is a very good post. Yes, BA is a dangerous city, forget about venturing to the Gran Buenos Aires where it is really dangerous. Also, Rosario which is a very nice city has become very dangerous, crime has skyrocket in the past few years.

  22. I have also lived in Buenos Aires for a few years ( I am Swiss) and agree that things are looking grim. I personally feel that in the last decade, there have been lots of immigration from bordering countries which has not helped a bit. Peruvians, Bolivians, Paraguayans etc. etc. etc. Aside form standing out like sore thumbs, they live in shanty towns and choose a life of crime. No one seems to mention this.

  23. I am in Buenos Aires for a week, staying at the Melia Buenos Aires. Arriving on a Sunday, I walked to the mall located very near the hotel. I had a bottle of water in my hand. A young woman who was walking with a man ran over and told me o give her my bottle of water. I handed it to her and as she started to come closer a small group of people began walking in my direction. She pushed me and I lost my balance, falling to the curb. I was sure she was going for my purse, but I kicked her. She and her male friend ran when the group of people (who happened to be German) came to my rescue. It’s unfortunate, and in the USA we have the same problem in large cities. Needless to say, I didn’t feel safe the rest of the week. I walked to and from my client’s office daily but stayed in when it got dark. Buenos Aires is beautiful, and I will return.

  24. We travelled through south america last year and despite having heard numerous problems with Quito, Ecuador we managed to avoid any trouble. However, on our way out of BA, after having spent a month there with no issues, as we headed for the bus station on a sunday afternoon we were set upon with a large squirt of green slim and a random lady “trying to help us”. Yes that scam. I recognised it for what it was and we made a hasty retreat for the terminal. Even luckier was the fact that after half an hour in the toilets of washing our hair and clothes the stinking stiff came out. However, we were definitely left a bit shaken and angry. I think as with all large cities there are more opportunities for crimes and even if it goes against your nature you should try to keep an increased distance between yourself and people unless you are in a very secure area.

  25. Wow… always thought BA was one of the safest cities in S.America. Reading this and having booked to fly out there and spend a couple of weeks soon, I’m now pretty terrified..!

  26. Don’t be worried guys but be careful, I am English with fair skin and blue eyes. I only had 4 days in BA and nothing happened to me at all, i walked around at night on my own and in the day time, i am slim and short and probably a easy physical target!! lol. I never walked around with a backpack or my phone and wallet in my hand, i was careful and daring at the same time or maybe just a bit lucky!!
    Enjoy BA, be aware of your surroundings but have fun, what will be will be!!

    xx

  27. I’m from London did a stupid thing, i.e. purposefully walked right into the middle of Villa 31. After coming into Retiro on the train and passing by the endless shacks of Villa 31 I had to see for myself what it’s like inside that place. I found it completely fascinating.

    However surprise surprise, I can say from experience it’s not safe. Yes, I learned the hard way. I can’t speak much Spanish. I look completely different to the locals. I’m completely naive and think the best of people.

    A group of guys surrounded me and decided that my stuff was actually their stuff. Some struggles ensued but I ended up letting them take whatever they wanted, otherwise I’m convinced things would have turned far more ugly.

    So the moral of the story is don’t go straight into the middle of Villa 31 unprepared. Perhaps go with full body armor, inside an army tank, with doors locked etc 🙂

    Trouble is I’m now fascinated more than ever with that place and want to go back in… I’ve heard that they do tours of that place. Mmm… perhaps I’ll try google.

    1. “So the moral of the story is don’t go straight into the middle of Villa 31 unprepared.”

      Lol. That’s the first obvious security measure you can take if you are in Buenos Aires, or in any south american city. Never enter in a Villa (argentinian favela).

  28. Heard Brazil is even more dangerous

    Anyways you’re saying I shouldn’t be driving a Ferrari around south america ;<

  29. Buenos Aires is one of the worst places that I have visited regarding crime. I was living there for more than a year and had everything from armed violent robbery, pickpocketing, near-kidnapping happen to me and my friends. A friend of mine was mugged two times in one week (both of the times in plain daylight in the middle of Palermo). I was visiting one of my local friends house around noon (Congreso area) when two armed men (firearms) entered and gun pointed us while leading us to the bathroom where they locked us while they were robbing the place. My brother was mugged in “subte”, also gun pointed. Not to mention that the local news is filled with terrible crimes ocurring on a daily basis. I am so glad to be back in Germany and to be able to appreciate walking safely on the streets. I have also been to the most countries in SE Asia, Ethiopia, Congo, Bolivia and Colombia and have only great experiences. Buenos Aires is beautiful but you definitely have to be always 100% alert.

  30. I need a help or anything that can help us to fine my brother in buenos aires, we didn’t talk to him since Sunday, my patents are getting crazy, we just want him back in UK. On Monday he was calling my dad’s phone and he was very scared and said he needs money and someone took his phone, we have jo contact at all, it was very short phone call, he doesn’t know anyone in there only one girl called Ana, can anyone help please

  31. I lived in BA for 10 years-I’m originally from Ushuaia- I never got robbed but I was always alert, now I live in Toronto Canada and I have been robbed once and also attacked (pushed in the street) by a crazy lady. Parkdale is quite a dangerous downtown neighbourhood in To. I guess you have to be alert everywhere.

  32. Two places come to my mind where I felt fear: Naples and Athens.
    I’ve been to Greece in 2009 (summer), before the “big crisis” hit the country, but it already looked a mess with drug addicts taking drugs on the streets, riot police and gangs… not to mention the zombie-looking people who even grabbed me, begging for money.
    Naples is a mafia city. It also has vast poor neighbourhoods, plenty of thieves and pickpockets who don’t do it the gentle way, but pretty much the way you described the Argentinian criminals.
    Naples was terrifying in some areas,…
    I reckon, as the economic situation worsens in Argentina (they’re having problems right now, I read…), it could potentially become even worse.

  33. I’m from Buenos Aires and I don’t feel safe the most of the time.

    This pharse is true, even for us:

    “I always keep an extra eye out on my surroundings”

    If you do that, and you stay in touristic zones, you shouldn’t have problems.

  34. Marcelo,
    Great blog and aside from the detractors thank you for sharing your insight and experiences with us.
    I actually unbeknownst to me stayed in the exact same apartment as you did in San Telmo . When my wife and I would would Lock the far external door or when we came in and had to open it with that gothic large key , she would always open or lock the door and I would stand with my back to her scanning Avenue Defensa for any potential trouble. We had no problems in San Telmo but both she and I are very savvy and for lack of a better term ” tactical travelers.”
    We traveled all around BA. and could see clearly how like any large city there is potential for trouble but we kept out of harms way by being vigilant and alert and simultaneously being open to the joys of visiting a new city and having fun. The Recoleta,Parma, San Telmo etc sections of BA were a pleasure to engage in and we loved our time in BA. For the record my wife is Chilena and even her Spanish was critiqued by a taxi driver who demanded the full roll of the “Rrrr” s in the word “Bolivar” before taking us there . The Spanish diakect between Argentines and their “ish” “at the end of words, Chilena quick speak and me with my full Gringo inflected Miami Cuban speak was something to try and follow.

  35. My wife and I were attacked and robbed of c US$1,000 in cameras and cash on a Sunday at 11.30am on 2 August 2015 in Buenos Aires. We had just walked through the Plaza de Mayor & had visited the Cathedral. It is the first time we have been robbed in over 40 years of travelling and we are within our first week of travel in South America. Yes Buenos Aires is dangerous and in our view the most dangerous place we’ve ever been too.

  36. After New Year, two weeks ago, we stayed in Palermo soho for five nights. One night after dinner four of us were going to a Tango show in the same neighborhood a few minutes from our rented apartment. We passed Armenia street and even a police officer at the same place, and just 50 meter after that two guys jumped out of a parked car with guns in their hands pointing them at our heads. Everything went so fast. But luckily no one got hurt. And they only got my cellphone (lost many photos…), keys, and some small cash from the others. Note that we didn’t flash with fancy clothes nor our things in our hands. Ironically we choose Palermo for its safety and left most our stuff at home before going out.. We had backpacked since end of the summer in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile without anything happening. I have also traveled in Middle East and most of the European capitals, and BA is by far one of the places I felt most unsafe in. And the only place I’ve got robbed (by gunpoint). Even others travelers I’ve met during my trip in South America stated the same about BA, some of them being robbed or mugged (one being stabbed by knife in Florida street, one if the main shopping pavements). Would unfortunately never recommend anyone to go there.

  37. Hi
    Buenos Aires is like every capital city in the world. You must be awake and keeping an eye to your belongings. BTW, as you said, going to the fancy neighborhoods is placing a sign saying: “Ey, I have money in my pockets”.
    Now is better, thanks God.

  38. Hi. Thank you for the blog, I really enjoyed reading it and I have now added Medellin to my list of cities to visit. I am writing this because my 2015-6 experience with Buenos Aires seems to be different from the situation you describe in 2010-11. Its not meant to contradict, just to give a current snapshot as I see and live it. I absolutely do not intend to impart a false sense of security to anyone. You have to be careful everywhere, especially in big cities.

    I am a solo female traveler in Buenos Aires right now (March 2016). I have been here for 3 months so far and I really like it. Before I arrived I read many reports of banditry and mayhem. I have experienced none personally and the instances I have heard about generally involved being drunk and out late in one of the many Palermos, not paying attention, being Japanese (sorry, its true), and/or wandering around lost waving a map and a camera. As a point of reference I in fact DO walk around carrying my Iphone (I-anything is very expensive in Argentina so a target for theft). I use it to play music/books and for directions so its in my hands often as I go around town. So far nobody has even looked at it strangely.

    I do keep everything passworded and backed up, and I carry most of my stuff in a front loading messenger bag with 2 zips. Its a city. This is just smart to do.

    Some things I have noted about Argentina:

    Personal Space – Argentines give each other quite a bit of personal space whenever possible. North American quantities of personal space in my experience. People do not crowd me or touch me unless we are on a crowded colectivo or subte. The distance between 2 humans on a sidewalk is exactly the same as in New York, LA or Washington. If someone is closer than this to you (without a reason such as a crowded bus) I would certainly be aware. I do this at home in NY as well.

    Catcalling – I generally experience a lot of ssssst chica sssst chica ssssst as a solo female traveler in Latin countries (including some in Europe, and yes I mean you Italy). Buenos Aires has been really pleasantly free of it. Its about as common in Buenos Aires as in the US and Canada. In Buenos Aires guys do not constantly yell, hiss and carry on trying to meet every lady under 100 on the streets. Honestly, has anyone dated a guy they met going sssssst chica ssssst on a street corner? If so let me know how that worked out.

    The people – Remove the top 10% lightest and top 30% darkest humans. Any of the remaining 60% could be a local. People ask me for directions all the time, so clearly I fall in the “could be a local” category. As a solo female traveler it is certainly nice to blend in so ladies if you are any sort of caucasian-ish brunette you too could be a Portena, especially if you rock crazypants (see below).

    The women (Portenas) – Very pretty! The only weird thing about them is that they wear what I call “crazypants” with weird platform sandals. Not wedges. Straight up platforms. Right now in front of me a woman is wearing crazypants with wavy lines and flowers all over them and what looks like bricks taped to the bottom of her feet. No matter how fit and firm you are, please reconsider wavy lines and flowers on your posterior. Its just not a good look for anyone.

    Dinner, Drinks & The guys – Many Argentine guys are super cute, and so far also really polite and friendly. My height bigotry is not an issue (I am 5’9”, applicants must be taller than I am in heels). There are plenty of 6’+ Argentine guys around to meet. I found it not uncommon for a guy to walk me most of the way to my apartment after drinks/dinner, and not in a creepy “I am going to stalk you later or try to break down your door” way. Argentines eat dinner at 10PM (yes, really), so its appreciated by me because walking around alone at 1AM (remember, dinner starts at 10) is not my favorite thing in a big city.

    The food – Not spicy. Lots of pasta. The quantity and variety of pasta really surprised me. I thought everyone would be eating steak all the time while drinking malbec. They actually eat 4x a day and the food is pretty good and varied. Fish, beef, pasta, salads, non-spicy empanadas (divine!), casseroles of various kinds. The baguettes are great. North American baguette tastes like sawdust and paste. In Buenos Aires they are really good. So are the cheeses and salamis. Pro tip: If you are looking for hot wings, margaritas, tacos or little rum drinks with umbrellas in them you are out of luck in BsAs.

    The drink – If you are a craft beer fan (I am), be ready to switch to wine. They have a couple local/popular beers (Imperial, Quilmes) that are meh, OK, I guess. Stella Artois is “fancy”. They do have lots of great wine. Even the local “two buck chuck” varieties (for you Trader Joe’s shoppers) are good. They also have Fernet, a “digestive”. Which they drink with Coke. Why? No idea. At first I thought this combo was a joke they pulled on tourists (“Hey! Try this! Har har”) but no. Argentines drink it. If you do, be sure to have them teach you the word for “hangover” because you are going to need it. OK, its resaca. You can thank me later.

    The smoke – Far fewer Argentines smoke cigarettes than I thought and smoking indoors seems pretty uncommon (is it illegal or are the people polite? I honestly don’t know). The other smoking (wink wink nudge nudge) is illegal, but its legal in Uruguay if its a thing you like.

    Changing Money – With the new government pesos now convert at a real rate (not the former fake government rate) at ATMs, but I brought cash with me because so many people warned me about the dangers of BsAs and the need to have ready dollars. I have changed money in several ways in small amounts as needed (hold your dollars, they are increasing in value right now vs the peso). The best and easiest way I change money is on Avenida Florida in the afternoon (between 4 and 7PM) at the various merchants there who become money changers at the end of their day so as to convert their pesos to dollars. You can find them because they stand around saying cambio, cambio when they want to buy dollars. I do not like to walk more than 10 steps from where the cambio cambio guy is standing to change money, and I prefer to do it in a public, open business such as a kiosk or clothing store. The WORST place I have changed money is the official government money changing kiosk. You need to bring your passport and fill out forms in triplicate and it takes about an hour. The rates are fine but the entire time the clerks tell you “no” a lot and shrug and smile and say “this is Argentina”.

    tl;dr – Just change money as needed on Avenida Florida, and do it at a store or kiosk don’t let the guy waste your time dragging you more than 10 feet from where you decide to change. Bring really nice looking $100s for the best rates.

    The drippy aircons – You know what I mean Portenos. Put a hose on your aircons or a bucket under them so they don’t pee on pedestrians all day and night and make a wet mess on the sidewalks. Its so unnecessary. Stop the drip. Drip, drip, drip.

    Dog poops – For such a dog friendly city I see much less poop around than I expected. Less than many paris European amsterdam cities paris that amsterdam shall paris go unnamed.

    The Spanish – ll and y = sh. Sometimes its a big bold SH, sometimes its softer mini-sh. Either way it sounds a little like an enraged librarian telling you to shut up. All the time. Vos, embrace it. Sometimes it actually buys you out of the tu/usted dilemma. Being that Argentines are basically upside down (southern hemisphere) Italians they also speak with their hands. If you have lived in New York or New Jersey you will immediately feel at home with this. The only new gesture for me was the “cuidado” eye one. If you see Argentines quickly touching their under eye area (index finger only it seems) they don’t have something in their eye or on their cheek, they are saying look out. Argentines do the eye pully thing a lot so watch for it.

    Traffic – Almost all of the streets in Buenos Aires are one way and there are a lot of bike lanes. I walk and ride my bike all over with no major issues. Drivers are more polite than many Canadian and American drivers in my experience. The sidewalks themselves have completely random paving/tiles/what is that stuff anyway? Some are nice, some are just weird, some are uneven, and sometimes some are missing. Sometimes motorcycles drive on the sidewalk for a short distance to park. It took me a day or two to get used to this. They aren’t speeding or dangerous but its just a little odd.

    Subte – The subway. Sometimes its hot and crowded at prime-time and it shuts down sort of early. Aside from that its pretty good and cheap. Get a prepaid subte card, its 5 pesos a ride so if you aren’t staying that long you don’t need to put much money on it. Argentines don’t generally smell, as in their hygiene seems good and they don’t bathe in weird colognes. Sorry but hygiene really varies on planet Earth. Clean people make public transport much more pleasant. For me anyway. Word of caution, the “eco doors” on the newer cars do not open automatically. You have to lift the little handle. Don’t look at me, I didn’t design them.

    Colectivos (the bus), not so bad. – I really hate the bus in the States. I avoid it like the plague. Buses aren’t so bad in Buenos Aires but remember – you have to hail the bus like it were a taxi. The buses are color coded and there is a great guide book to them and their routes and stops and colors, so you can see the bus you want from a fair distance. Usually there are Argentines doing the arm waving/bus hailing thing for you, but if you are alone you have been warned. No arm up = no bus even if you are right on top of the bus stop looking at the driver. You can use your prepaid subway card on most buses which is another great thing.

    Tango – Almost no Argentine I have met knows how to tango or shows any interest in learning or doing or watching it. There are tourist dinner tango shows and there are a few milongas-for-tourists. An older lady I met told me she and her husband sometimes tango in the town square near their house north of San Isidro (ie, way in the burbs) but I have yet to go to verify it. If someone tells you that Argentines (especially Argentines under 50) are tangoing “in, around and outside every cafe” please ask them to show you a photograph of it. Then send it to me, because I really want to see it.

    Taxis and Uber – There is no uber in Buenos Aires. They have a local app to call a taxi, it sometimes sort of works. You can also hail cabs on the street, and there are lots of them. About half of the drivers seem to like to rip off tourists. Uber. Come on.

    The map – Most maps of Buenos Aires do not have North at North. Or South. North is sort of down in the SW corner… Its not super important in a city map but really. Why?

    Anyway I am having a great time here and with normal precautions you would take in any big city it seems quite safe in 2016, even for solo lady travelers. I am sorry in advance to anyone who will reply to this saying he or she was mugged etc. I am only relaying my current experience and it may not match yours.

    Thanks again for the interesting “no spin” blog.

    Cheers,
    Heidi

  39. Buen dia to everyone,

    I’ll start it quick and simple, Buenis Aires is not as safe as some people imagine and see. It took me about a year and a half to see that. Even if you are careful and precautious, Chorros( local for robbers) can come out from anywhere. Buenos Aires and provincia is a stressing environment and more nowadays that the economical situation is worst than just a year ago. Food went up highly, transport just went up 100%. So poor people are now poorer, there’s more crime now than at my arrival. DO NOT brag out a cell phone. No fancy shoes either. Just a few days ago, a guy got robbed and kill, yeap, killed, for his shoes. And this, I see crimes like this every week. I don’t like to soften the surface by saying: oh it’s pretty and nothing is happening. Things happen. There’s good things and bad things. But safety, is an issue. I’m living here since more than a year, my wife is Argentinian and she said that situation is getting worse.

    Thank you and be safe.

    Phil

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