Travel Warnings

And so it has started.

Countries issue travel warnings for the U.S. 

Throughout my travels in Latin America and even during my time living there I always had friends and family siting the U.S. State Departments warnings about travel in Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, etc.

I always found this to be a one-way street as if they believed that everything in the U.S. was perfect and safe at all times. I know that most of this comes from knowing your surroundings and being comfortable, but the U.S. is no different from other countries and sadly, based on the recent events, the U.S. presents even more risks.

This is a big change for many, to see other countries send out warnings about travel in the U.S., but the U.S. has been issuing these warnings for a long time. If you are a parent and your child said they wanted to study in the U.S., how would your react?

 

U.S. & Latin American Convergence

The recent Baltimore Orioles v. Chicago White Sox game was played in an empty stadium in Baltimore due to safety concerns from the recent riots and social unrest taking place in Maryland’s largest city. As the article suggests there was a “strangeness” to the whole affair as both players and the media commented on the “weirdness” of playing in front of nobody. U.S. comedian David Letterman even suggested that they players had to heckle each other. Although not at all common in the U.S., playing in front of no one is a routine occurrence in other parts of the world. Futból (soccer) teams in Latin America and Europe have a long history of playing in front of zero spectators. In a slight difference from the U.S., this usually stems from fan violence as rival factions from the different teams would make the stadium and unsafe environment for other fans, the teams, referees, and other support staff. For another take on this issue see a recent article by The Atlantic.

However, what these circumstances have in common is that authorities that have determined that allowing the public to attend the event could have the potential to put people in harm’s way and in the best interest of public safety no one will be allowed into the stadium. This is once again evidence that sport does not exist in a bubble and is woven into the social fabric of society. Let us hope that in the U.S. and across Latin America and the rest of the world stadiums and sporting events will be safe for all to attend and enjoy. To do this there is still much to be done to address the different social problems that are bubbling to the surface across the Americas.

Supermarket Shopping in Latin America

Although this article by the Economist mentions Colombia as its focal point, it could have easily been written about a number of different countries. The article highlights are number of reasons that large-scale supermarkets are struggling to gain market share including:

• Convenience
• Cash vs. Credit
• Quantity – small stores will sell you two eggs and 3 slices of cheese
• Social Factors (friends and neighbors)

Having lived in a number of Latin American countries over the last decade I would like to add to this list a number of additional items:

1. Who does the shopping? – many times it is the empleada (maid) who is in charge of the shopping and they generally feel more comfortable at street markets
2. Planning – Latin America as a whole is not known for its ability to plan and shopping on a large scale requires having a long list of items to purchase (not to mention a place to store them). Which brings me to my next item.
3. Storage – Even as incomes have grown, many in Latin America do not have refrigerators or have smaller units, which does not allow the ability to store 5 gallons of milk.
4. Payroll – The informal economy still plays a big role in Latin America with workers receiving smaller payments on a daily basis. This day-to-day living does not led itself to large scale shopping.
5. Transport – If you plan on buying large quantities of groceries you need something to bring them home with you. Many in Latin America do not have cars and trying to transport large bags on public transit or taxis is not the most enjoyable experience.

I find it interesting as more supermarkets are trying to enter into Latin America things in the U.S. are trending in the opposite direction. Most cities have successful farmers markets and smaller format stores and buy local continue to gain momentum.