Expat Files – 05.29.15

-More on safely moving your gold, silver and precious metals across borders and how to stay as anonymous as possible while doing so.

-A word on bank safety deposit boxes: their availability and use in Latin America

-If you’ve been watching the international news over the last few weeks you may have noticed a rather big top level political shakeup going down in Guatemala. It’s just the most recent billion dollar corruption scandal collapsing the present government. Along with the country’s first female vice president, dozens of high level politicos are in jail or under house arrest and a dozen politicians now fugitives on the run from Interpol.
That said, how does all this political turmoil and unrest affect the expats and gringos living in Guatemala? What do long term expats have to say about the situation? Are they nervous, frightened and ready to pack up and leave? You’ll be surprised to hear that talk of corruption and scandal rarely comes up in casual conversation amongst gringos and expats. Why? Because every administration is thoroughly corrupt. Fortunately (or unfortunately) the only ones really affected by such massive corruption and thievery are the common people, the 80% who must ride the chicken buses, attend horrible free public schools (no desks or running water). Its the poor people who must go to the pitiful but free public hospitals (with not enough beds, gloves, medicines or syringes to go around). They’re the ones that suffer- while expats and gringos continue to live like first world people no matter which corrupt leaders are in office.