Narutokun: "Kidnapped." I have no idea about per capita comparisons wtih LOs Angeles but it is a fact that most of Colombia is out of govermental hands and the groups in the 3 areas controlled by them are a state within a state. It is nothing at all like Los Angeles though. FARC uses cocaine paste as currency in most areas and has extensive Intel. they also are prone to set up road blocks and WILL take any foreigner they feel is worth the ransom, sadly the feel all N. Americans above Mexico, and all of Europe are great for ransom.
I have only been in LA in transit, in airports, but I do follow the media alot and for the life of me cannot recall roadblocks where they stick a lamp in your face, check your papers, and then drag you off to Andean and/or Amazonian huts where you arte chained up for months or years and then either shot in the back of the head, or alternatively dragged off blinfolded and left on a hiway.
The world i alot different than America and for the lie of me, nowhere is as safe as America, Canda, and most of Europe.
Santia:"Colombians are white skinned." Yes, it is true. Though, if you do not speak Spanish fluently and have the wrong passport it is not a fun place to be. I am lucky in that I speak accentless Spansih (alot better than my English) and have an Israeli passport which suprisingly is loved by al other than FARC. Still, one should always watch their ps and qs and I would not recommend it as a drug tourism site.
If they love stimulants, go to SE Asia, methamphetamine purer than anything on Earth and cheaper than anywhere else. Same with heroin actually, and Rx,etc. Only cocaine is paticular to S. Ameirca and even that is not the rule (they had a coca plantaion here in Iolio in 89, and lab) so doubtless there others (in fact UNODC releases the figures anmd it is found growing in almost all similar environments, just not in any abundance so prices are through the roof).
If I had to pick one nation to send someone I cared anything about to, who was a white and non-Spanish speaking person to , it would be Bolivia. Bolivia does not have the best coke (they are the only ones using the oiriginal acid based synthesis and it is a nasty product), but even the poresident is pro-coke.
I know, I know, he is a cocalero and that is different than cocaine per se but if you think all the marquetas selling tons of coca every Saturday and Wednesday, it is not being sold for chewing and tea. The entire economy is dependant on the plant, the president is a coca farmer, it is being proposed as part of school lunches (yep) and they have no really threatening leftsit insurgency. Whites ARE EXTREMELY rare (I have not been to the country myself, want to og, instead relying on a relative and several aquiantences words) but well recieved because as opne of the poorest places on the continent, they are desparate for dollars.
I do not have a problemn myself with dangerous places (given that 5 insurgencies are being fought here and I pass through armed checkpoints ebery few kilometers) myself but cannot recommend anyone going to Colombia unneccessarily.
