As an American, what is it like to work in south and central america?  There is this job id like to apply for someday down there.  It is a civilain contrator to a Gov. agency type thing.    Does anyone have any experience?

Ben, The_Emu

I've worked in Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina as an engineer. Venezuela is a free fire zone; I literally had to fight for my life once down there. Be careful what cab you get in. Down in Brazil they don't really like Americans. They have a " we don't need your help" attitude but can't do shit themselves. Out of the three I like Argentina the best.

Now for the most important part the women are HOT, HOT unbelievable HOT. And they love Americans....Err American dollars. But remember to always, always watch your back. After saying all that you should go, international travel is always fun.....when you can return to the U.S.

When you say "fight for my life" what do you mean?  Gun battle, bar brawl?

Are foreigners allowed to carry weapons?

Ben, The Emu

By that I mean I got into the wrong cab with two people (stupid) and they pulled a knife on me and demanded money. After I punched the diver and kicked out the whole back area of the cab out, as we are diving along about 60, they decided I wasn’t an easy mark. Then they dropped me off in the middle of a Caracas ghetto. If I ever got the chance I’d do ‘em both.


Carry any weapon you can find, just don't come into the country with them.

I had a friend that worked in international sales for Data General (remember them?).  He spent a lot of time in South America and the company provided him with a body guard.

His buddy that worked sales in L.A. got 3 body guards. [;D]

you will not be able to carry in any central American country to my knowledge

Some Central American countries can have big cities but are still 3rd world. If you sway from the tourist areas you will see right away that most people are poor. You have to have your wits about you 24/7 when overseas even when you're out drinking.

I had a bodyguard or two when I was in Peru.  I also had a firearm on occasion.  There is a reason it is called the third world.....

SRM

Before going down, talk to someone who has worked in the country you are interested in.

Learn what Mordida means.  

Some countries have ways of finding your papers not in order as you want to leave, but the proper numbered bill in US currency enclosed with the paperwork usually rectifies the situation.

Learn their language.

They don't give a damn that you are a US citizen.

If you get into trouble, the US embassy is NOT there for your benefit.  Forget them.

So what does Mordida Mean?
To get the job i have to learn spanish, so thats not a problem.  I know that class room spanish is different than spoken spanish. And that the spoken language is different in different countries.  so i know that to really learn it i will have to be there.

Ben

Not entirely true in regards to CCW. I lived in the Republic of Panama for seven years (I returned to the big BX in Dec 1999) and I had a CCW permit the entire time I lived there. You need a doctor's statement certifying you are not insane, 2 photos, set of fingerprints, 2 fired rounds from your carry weapon(s)and $100 cash. Bingo - 3 weeks later you can be packing!

In reagrds to 3rd world setting -- this is true. I've been to Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica and Colombia. Believe me, those folks out in the boonies are just getting by. And you need your wits about you especially when you've been drinking!

The one post dealing with Central/South American women is absolutely true in my experience.
It's amazing how far blue eyes & generally appearing like a "gringo" will get you in trying to hook up with a sweet young thing south of the border. Oh, and those greenbacks don't hurt either!!! [sex]

Its what I do for a living now.  Perhaps we should talk about this offline.  

holy cow batman - who is the authorizing authority?

Well the furthest I have been is Mexico City and then about 3 hours south to Igualla, and then Tasxco and a few other places, NEVER AGAIN.....

 Man I do not and will not go back, the best place I saw was the Mexico City Airport, everything before customs was great, after that things went down hill fast, and forget about driving in that city, sheesh, I do not know how I made it out alive and to where I was going.... and then back again...

Although I thought it was cool to see guys with pump 12ga shotguns at gas stations guarding the pumps, and military personall with M-16s riding around on the top of Coke-A-Cola trucks.....

It was a whole different world, most people were friendly, although one lady at a store, if you can call it that, ripped me off, I was sick and needed some drinks to re-hydrate and I paid out the nose for them....

Most of the stores were in people houses, they had a window pulled out and a counter in place, you walked up and asked for what you wanted, I asked one place for a coke, and got the coke, poured into a plastic bag, and a straw put in the plastic bag and they kept the bottle, LOL....

Taxsco was a nice place, felt safe there, lots of tourest, sits on some silver mines in the mountians, and at night is very nice to see, had a good pizza there, but got sick 0on it after, it was the cheese, it is processed different down there....

Still dont want to go back, I saw poverty like I had not seen before, no middle class, either you have money or you dont, period, hardly no idoor plumbing in alot of houses, out houses with no roofs or doors, that was fun, LOL, I have a friend that lives down there, he likes it, me I dont.....

I just paid for mine in Panama. A guy named Richard took care of everything for me, even the Doctor thing. I paid him and he worked his magic. The PTJ on 4th of July Ave are the folks that actually do the issuing. To go through regular channels is very simple, but its easier just to pay a connected local.

Central America is very Bribe friendly. You can get anything done for a little cash. A cop pulls you over for (insert favorite violation here), just offer to pay the fine on the spot and tell him you only have $5. Two minute later you are on your way and the cop is a little richer.  

Dont paint your views of Latin America by what you see in Mexico, Guat, Beleiz, Honduras or El Sal.   They have a totally different way of life and type of people.   No where near the same as Panama, Colombia or Venezuela.  Costa Rica is a Paradise in and of itself.  South of Ecuador I cant say diddly about aint been down there.  But just for comparison's sake, I feel safer in Bogota than I do in NYC or LA. Hell Id rather E&E thru FARCLandia than spend a day in any American Big City.    

Interesting stuff.     I still think i will go given the chance.  Ofcourse i am single so i dont have a lot of responsibility.  if i was attached i wouldn't go.   It will be a while before i have the experience level to apply for the job i want anyway.

Ben,  The Emu

This is true.

I was just told it wasn't a good idea to be around the Nicaraguan(sp?) border. We never got up that way, so.

Para quien trabaja usted?  Soy guero, pero hispano-hablante.  Que casualidad que necesito trabajo ahora mismo!  Tengo licenciado de Espanol y Psicologia.  Si usted necesita trabajador, yo lo soy.  

TS

I'm the Lizard King, I can do anything.

Absolutley correct.  For those of you have never been to Panama--PTJ translates into Judicial Technical Police--in other words--the cops.
As mentioned above, a few dollars in the right hands does wonders.  I used a third party to get my paperwork together the first time I was there.  It only took about a week.  Some of my friends decided to go it alone and waited almost two months.  Not only does paying someone else done get it done right the first time--it gets it done quick!
Out in the interior of Panama, I always felt much safer than I do in some of the cities in the US.  BUT, there are some areas in downtown Panama City that you do not go at night!!  Not even Panamanians go to these spots unless they are unfortunate enough to live there.  But having said that, there are places in Denver that are just like that!

Absolutley correct.  For those of you have never been to Panama--PTJ translates into Judicial Technical Police--in other words--the cops.
As mentioned above, a few dollars in the right hands does wonders.  I used a third party to get my paperwork together the first time I was there.  It only took about a week.  Some of my friends decided to go it alone and waited almost two months.  Not only does paying someone else done get it done right the first time--it gets it done quick!
Out in the interior of Panama, I always felt much safer than I do in some of the cities in the US.  BUT, there are some areas in downtown Panama City that you do not go at night!!  Not even Panamanians go to these spots unless they are unfortunate enough to live there.  But having said that, there are places in Denver that are just like that too!

Go, because if you have never seen it, you will never properly understand the difference between the US and the rest of the world.

Poverty? You haven't seen poverty in the US. Our homeless people are better fed than the average peon in a lot of those countries. Consider the fact that one maid we hired here in the US traveled 1,000 miles alone by bus over terrible roads, and the rest by foot, was beaten up and robbed several times, and then crawled under a fence in the middle of the night for the chance to build a life in the US.

You can't really appreciate the differences in the culture, either, until you go and live with them.  My two favorite stories:

Years ago, I went down to Panama and several other countries to form some corporations for some families I worked with. We asked one of the top lawyers in Panama to explain Panamian law. He explained that Panamian corporate law was just like US corporate law. That is, just take the same papers you filed in the US, change the address and file them in Panama and you have a corporation. But, he said, there was one important difference that Americans never really understood. To illustrate that difference, he told the story of a Panamanian presidential cabinet minister who sued the members of his own staff -- alleging that they had taken a bribe and not given him his fair share. The cabinet minister won the lawsuit, of course.

The other story comes from my father-in-law when he was on contract to the Venezuelan Air Force, teaching them how to maintain F-16s. He noticed that one particular routine monthly maintenance procedure was not being done correctly. He knew that F-16s tend to fall out of the sky with disastrous results if they are not maintained properly.

So he got together with the captain, and they discussed it and decided to hold a class to teach all the maintenance crew how to do the procedure. The class went fine and everyone got a good grade on the test. They thought the problem was fixed.

Then it came time for the procedure again and, sure enough, all the maintenance crew did it wrong again. He and the captain were puzzled, so they called in the crew chief to ask him about it.

"You know that maintenance procedure?" they asked.

"Oh, certainly," the crew chief said.

"You know that you guys were doing it wrong, don't you?" they asked.

"Oh, yeah," the crew chief said, "we know that."

"And we gave you a class in how to do it right, didn't we?" they asked.

"Oh, yeah," the crew chief said. "It was a wonderful class, we all enjoyed it and found it quite interesting. All the guys were pleased that they got a good grade on the test."

At this point, my father-in-law was a bit puzzled.

"But this time you did it wrong again," he said.

"Yeah," said the crew chief.

"Why?" my father-in-law asked.

"Es mas facil," the crew chief said matter-of-factly. (It's easier.)

Basic difference in attitude. My father-in-law stated that he was convinced that, if any war ever happened between Venezuela and its neighbors, that the war would be over by noon because that is the start of siesta and nothing interferes with siesta.

Bottom line - you will discover a new set of life values that you probably never even imagined before.

Ever seen the movie "Proof of Life"? Check it out, things down south have been getting worse, even in Mexico. Small time thugs are now pulling off hostage situations. My friend that lives down there is seriously considering illegally keeping an auto pistol for protection. "Machiladoras" like him are starting to become victim to home invasion robberies and hostage situations. The war on drugs has brought about a new and dangerous thug life in these drug trafficking countries.