I looked for an appropriate place to put this thread, but couldn't anywhere I felt other Guatemalans would see it. My dad is Guatemalan, but hasn't lived there since he left in the mid 70s and is contemplating retiring to Guatemala, but is very concerned about the crime - specifically criminals targeting retirees because of their perceived "wealth". Anyone here have information on that, whether things are truly that bad or its just all urban legend and news hype? Thanks.
It's not that bad as long as he's smart about it. I have a few aunts and uncles that have retired to Guate but they were smart about it. They started building their pads in gated communities in the out skirts or even out of the city before they retired. I would think it would be harder to go back to the same neighborhoods which atleast for our family are going way down hill.
That's how I understood things. If you drove around in a nicer car, nicer clothes, wearing that nice watch you bought yourself when you turned 50, telling every cousin and old friend you see your situation, etc, you would stick out like a sore thumb and be a walking target. But if you attempt to blend in and and be more subtle, you would be safer.
Definitely try to live in a gated community if he's gonna live in "La Capital." If he's gonna live in a safer area like in the outskirts of Antigua then he should be fine.
I agree. Antigua or it's outskirts of Antigua would be safer than the capital. But he needs to change his whole mentality to live in Guate now. Gated community, tinted-window car(or at least windows rolled up), etc. Sadly it's not the same country as the one he where he once lived.
This. In Central America, living in a gated community is your best bet. My aunt and uncle from USA bought a house in a very brand new community in El Salvador perhaps a 30 minute drive away from the capital city. The new community is a part of an area that is currently undergoing gentrification and building brand new buildings and roads. It's becoming posh and it's ultra safe. With that said, if the OP's dad is wanting to move back to Guatemala, he should do his homework and enquire about gated communities.