Your concern is valid and like the rest of us who sought information before coming to Nicaragua, you too are researching every possible angle to decide what is best for you.

This subject has come up several times under many different titles.
1) Bribery exists. If you want something done ... you can participate in this game. I do not. I seek out my Nicaraguan friends to help me. Since I don't have a car to drive here, I don't have to worry about being stopped for no reason, and having to slip the cop 100 or 200 cordobas.

2) Theft exists. If you wear good jewelry and are careless with how you "hide" money on your person (or even in your home), someone will probably / eventually snatch it. This is a third world country where poverty rates at about 60%. On the other hand, you can just visit a major US city, and experience the same theft with violence or death added as a bonus. I am not being sarcastic but this country (Nicaragua) is new to you and so things are out of perspective right now.

3) Violence is evident but statistically, Nicaragua doesn't even come close to even one of the major cities in the USA.

4) Panhandling / begging exists. Some can be VERY clever with their ploy. The best approach is just say NO unless there is an exchange of service. For example, Marilyn, my roommate always dealt with the lady in the wheelchair in the post office (in Managua). She sold legal size envelopes (more expensive that in the libreria) but it's, in my terms, fair exchange. Same with car window washers. Etc.

5) Exercising caution and good common sense will help you stay safer. This same safety credo applies to living in the US! I've lived in major cities like Chicago and small towns like Greeneville, Tennessee. I don't see that there is much difference between US and here except that there seems to be LESS crime.

a) LOCK ALL DOORS AND SECURITY GATES when leaving the house to go out or when going to bed. Don't you do that now?
b) DO NOT GO OUT AFTER DARK to strange, unfamiliar places. In Matagalpa we do go out after dark, on occasion, but we travel in two-somes and take a taxi. In Managua? Forget it! I wouldn't go out after dark on a bet!!! We are two women ... not a man and a woman ... and I don't (and will not) carry a gun. Isn't that what you already do in the town you live in?

c) GET TO KNOW THE LOCALS AND LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY. Masaya IS safe (as an example). Each community is different. While living in Managua, we were repeatedly told to get rid of the jewelry ... this or that purse wasn't safe ... this or that bus terminal was less safe than others ... etc Once you begin to make friends (that you can trust and rely on) with some of the local families, they will be a great insight and resource. Between our Managua taxi driver (Juan Carlos) and our Ticuantepe housekeeper (Berta) and our Managua gardener (Michael), our bases were covered. Sometimes, when going to the Mercados: Isreal, Huembre, Oriental, someone would also insist on going with us as an escort and intervention, if need be. Their advise was invaluable. We never had a problem. We've been "taken care of."

6) Crime seems to exist everywhere. If you've been using the search engine on this Nicaraguan forum, you'll discover that some people have been through the wringer with difficult experiences (i.e., spiritsage, majicjack to name a few.) Some expats will share with you that the expats are the ones that are problems ... not the locals. Well, it goes both ways. Keep asking and you will get a large variety of answers for each local that the expat lives in ...

Good luck on your research.
Linda

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Linda, thank you so much for your insight. That really is the overall feeling I have gotten but am just a little bit uneasy about getting off the plane in Mananga and not having that support system. My husband Jim and I are working very hard at learning the language at this point. I keep getting german mashed into it. Would love to hear more about your journey there. Thanks again. Connie

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Most crime is petty theft (stolen rakes, hand tools, fishing nets), however the real money makers for the little ciminals are drunk tourists....drunk tourists are their best customers, can't remember what happened and are easy targets.

Clueless tree hugging backpackers living in kala land with theirt "peace love dove lifestyle" are also good customers, these idiots are moving about with their worldly possessions conveniently packaged and on their back...iPhone's, iPads, money, clothes, shoes, trinkets....voila one huge Santa Claus goodie bag...I have seen idiotic girs in skimpy clothes walking down isolated roads with 1000.00 camera wandering all by themselves....sh(t if I was poor and hungry...that is too tempting!

Don't get sh$t faced, don't flash money, jewelry or openly brag about your lifestyle, lay low be respectful and don't leave your stuff out enticing young kids, teenagers or thieves.

I live by the beach, I know all my Nica neighbors, we all look out for each other and all of us dread when the Managuans come to town for festivities THEY are bigger problems ripping us and the locals off! Nica and expats alike!

As or Managua, parts are cesspools, my advice is to quickly exit that city with caution, and those of us who live here, even we know all the rules and is and donts hen we have to go there.

Managua could be considered as safe as Washington DC...

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I have never lived in Nicaragua so take my info with a big grain of salt. I have been researching CA countries a lot, visited some several times and always had a good time. Nicaragua comes up real good on many websites, but some have posted that a lot of crime is not reported due to lack of police or lack of the police willing to do anything about it, so people either take care of it themselves or just accept the fact that they were robbed, etc,. and live with it figuring its just a part of living in Nicaragua, so crime stats might be deceiving. For example, a while back someone posted how he was robbed or something like that (don't remember the details), and he took care of one of the guys but for some reason, went to the police to file a complaint. He said the police just laughed at him and asked him why he didn't deal with the other guy the same way. I guess you just have to go there to find out. But all stats I have found say Nicaragua is fairly safe. It's what's not reported that worries me. Like you, I can deal with a lot of stuff, but at 63 years old, having to worry about being mugged is a bit over the top.

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What an excellent post! Read this on wiki and save it, a lot of good information.

http://www.centralamericainfo.travel/index.php/Safety_in_Central_America#Driving_in_Central_America

The only time I was ever 'mugged' in Central America was many years ago when I got intoxicated and was jumped on a side street in Guatemala city at 230 am, I resided many years in 3 large US Cities, was 'mugged' 7 times and my apartments/rooms broken into 3 times! When you go to the ATM or Bank to makd a withdrawal, always take a friend/relative with you, never give out your PIN number, even to a Bank Employee or Manager if say, the machine has 'eaten' your card, call your bank, cancel and have a new card issued. There were bank branches in areas of Guatemala where ATM would 'eat' cards and the Bank Manager, already in possession of the cards, would ask for the PIN numbers or clone the cards, always try to use an ATM inside a Bank or in an area that is guarded, such as a Mall or inside a 24 Hour Gas Station or large stores. Try to blend in and dress like locals, Backpackers stand out and I have seen some older female 'backpackers' with a lot of luggage get robbed of their gear because they rode 'chicken buses' everywhere, even across borders, and remember the most dangerous places in Latin America are the Bus Terminals and the areas around them, if you arrive after dark, take an authorized taxi right away to home or hotel. Nicaragua, outside Managua, is very safe and has been named on www.vivatropical.com (Go to the site and sign up for their newsletter) the second safest country in LA next to Chile.

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This is one of the most common questions and probably most difficult to reliably answer. It is similar to the question "Is it hot down there?". Like the states, it depends on your personal experience and where you live. If you have been mugged or robbed you will think it is more dangerous while the majority think it is very safe.

We have traveled all over Nicaragua for the eight years we have lived here and have never encountered a problem but luck always plays a role. There are sections in every city you should avoid and eventually you learn where they are. We have simple rules - always take a taxi after dark, don't drive in the dark and have good neighbors. The best security in a home or while walking is a dog. I have never seen someone robbed when they had a dog that I am aware of.

We have continous discussions about safety here. Some say it is getting worse and others think it is getting better. Nicaragua is certainly doing much better than its neighbors since our government is very harsh on drugs, violent crime and strong on supporting the family and human rights.

Anyway, in the end, we feel reasonably safe but always be aware of what is going on around you. Support the police and have good neighbors.

Darrell

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Once again, thanks for everyone that is responding! It really does help.

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We have lived in Granada for three years and it is safe. There is opportunistic crime, but is you use common sense and avoid the pitfalls listed in these replies, you will be fine.

We go to Managua all the time and I like it, so do many foreigners who live there, but it is an acquired taste. Arrange to be picked up at the airport by a shuttle service, we used
PAXOS, I arranged it on the internet, and a nice young lady met us at baggage claim, saw us through customs and onto the shuttle. They took us right to a hotel in Granada where we stayed two weeks so we could get comfortable. Go to a smaller city, like Granada, and it will be easier. It was painless. Granada is an easy place to start, you can decide where you want to go later.

Do not come on spirit airlines in the middle of the night, pay for an early afternoon arrival so you have plenty of time before dark. If you come in late, stay at the hotel across the street from the airport until morning. Take a taxi from the airport to the hotel.

I worked with the police in Granada and I was very impressed with them. They care and they help people. They know what is going on. If you have a problem go to the police station, don't hang out calling and hoping they will come by. A nice Grandmother runs the national police in Nicaragua and she runs a tight ship. I trust her to watch out for me.
Here, they go after criminals and the criminals go to jail, fast. I also know some local prosecutors and I wouldn't want them on my case. These people believe in the original sin, not the good ness of mankind. We have no complaints about police protection.

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Instead of worrying about what might be bad, think about what might be good. For example, I have had strangers stop on the street and carry heavy objects for me. They were sweet.
You can get anyone to do almost anything for you, at very little cost. I have my clothes custom made, the pharmacists orders what I want, young men stop traffic so I can get across the street when traffic is bad. A nice young lady is always offering to carry my groceries for me.
I haven't had to bribe anyone.

We live on very little money and very comfortably. The good outweighs the bad.
Most people are honest and pride themselves on it. I hold out my hand filled with money all the time in the local Mercado and the venders carefully take what they need and carefully show it to me. Most Nicas are very nice. Most expats are nice, but I would give you the same warnings about them...

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Connie,
I have been looking at some of the same things but htink it has a lot to do with how you have grown up and raised in the states. People sheltered from bad don't always see where bad can occur. I was raised in the swamps of Louisiana as a kid. We had an outhouse until I was going on 11 and poverty and danger all around. Make your first visit with all the safe steps you can, even if no bad is waiting for you.

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In November in Managua we were robbed. We had booked a private shuttle to pick us up from the airport and drive us to SJDS where we are staying. On the way home we had the driver stop at Pricesmart. Long story short, he was to stay with the shuttle. We came back from shopping to discover some of our stuff had been removed from the van. It's a long story and because we are still in Nicaragua we can't go into now. We lost over $2000. in items all because we trusted someone before we had determined whether or not we had a solid relationship with them. TRUST NO ONE till a solid relationship has been established.
Our Lesson was learned the very hard way. More on this later.

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There are very few muggings on tourist or other citizens of other countries in Nicaragua. There is a lot of theft but this can be prevented with a few simple precautions. Our home was broken into and the police had the three people that did it in custody the next day. If you report it and make them file a report, they have to and will do it. If you are just visiting, get travel insurance. If you are going to live here, get a 9mm.

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There are very few muggings on tourist or other citizens of other countries in Nicaragua. There is a lot of theft but this can be prevented with a few simple precautions. Our home was broken into and the police had the three people that did it in custody the next day. If you report it and make them file a report, they have to and will do it. If you are just visiting, get travel insurance. If you are going to live here, get a 9mm.

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When I walked down the streets of Granada every home was covered in ironwork grilles, window-bars, and hefty gates. Evidently these are no deterrents to thieves. How exactly do they break into these homes and, aside from being present and owning a 9mm (which I won't be doing in this lifetime--I'd probably wind up shooting someone--possibly myself!) how does one protect a Nicaraguan home from break-ins? Razor wire on the roof?

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How hard is it to get a 9mm?

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You can buy one at the Oriental Market in Managua very easy and cheap. However if you get caught with it there is serious jail time.
Once you obtain residency, it is not very difficult at all to get license for guns. You can own as many as you can afford but have to register and obtain a license for each and every one.
As far as fully protecting your home? It isn't going to happen in Nicaragua without several armed guards and this is providing they don't rip you off

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Gun permit, where does a person start to get the permit, I have residency, do I just go to the local police station? Or where?

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I don't live in Nicaragua but have been considering it. I am very disappointed that you have not received any responses to your excellent question.
I have traveled to CA many times and had good experiences, but my research indicates that anybody living there has to accept a lot of things for a lower cost of living, among them, a need to be more vigilante on what is going on around you. As a 63 year old, this is a concern for me and apparently you. The need for guard dogs, a high wall with razor wire with glass shields, bars on windows and alarms and buying a gun just doesn't fit into my dream of a nice, quiet and peaceful retirement. I have read many posts from people that live in CA that are concerned about taking a weekend trip, not knowing if their house will be broken into while their gone, and I love traveling. People have said that they just go shopping for a few hours and return home only to find all their stuff gone. I am a practical person that looks at the pros and cons of any major decision I make. This just doesn't sound like paradise to me, but I could be wrong.

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Take your cedula and go to the local police department. They will do a background check, send you to a headshrinker, give you a class on firearms, pay a couple hundred cords and they will give you a form to take to a gun dealer to buy a gun. After you purchase the weapon, take it back to the police department with three rounds of ammo and they will do ballistics test and tell you when to come back and then you will go to the same place they issue your drivers license, take a picture and issue you a license for that weapon. OR! find a lawyer to help you for about $ 50.00 and avoid the headshrinker, firearms class. The price may vary because you will still have to pay the headshrinker $10.00 and the guy that gives the class a few bucks. This could include a little waiting time at the police dept.

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Hi AV ...
I read bluewind's response to your post and did some research. Here is what majicjack said on April 2013:

Anyone that tells you they can get you a gun and it is easy is full of crap. Owning an illegal gun in NIcaragua is a very serious offense.
1. You must be a resident
2. Have a background check by the police in NIcaragua
3.. Psych. evaluation.
4. In most cases you are required to attend a class on guns to insure you know how to use one.
If you meet the requirements, you can own as many guns as you want in Nicaragua but have to have each one licesened. There are restrictions on AK 47s
If you meet the requirements, just about any lawyer can assist you. Just check on how much they want to charge you and don't let them change the price. Don't pay more than half until you have the weapon and license in you hand. If you are approved, the police will give you a form to go buy the weapon, you then take the weapon / 3 shells to the police station and the police will run a ballistics check and record it. You will then be issued a license and given you weapon. The first couple of months you have the weapon the police will come to your house and inspect to see if you have the weapon properly secured and inspect the weapon to insure it is the one you have registered. You can go to the Oriental Market in Managua and buy an illegal gun. If you are caught with it you are looking at 6 to 10.

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If all this upsets you then you need to move out of the USA. The violent crime rate there is much more than in Nicaragua. When you live in an extremely poor country there is going to be theft and that will never change. In Nicaragua they do not beat you to death to take your money, they don't run down the street in gangs knocking people out for no other reason that they are board. The family values are still pretty strong in Nicaragua. The police doesn't have the ACLU jumping down their throats and yet they do not beat their prisoners. Animals live better than what a Nicaragua prison has to offer. You are stuck in a cell that was designed for two people that has 10. You sleep on a wet cement floor because your drinking water, bath water and water for the hole in the floor they call a commode is running all the time. You eat your food less than 6 feet from a s--thole. If you have family to bring you food and clean clothes it is still terrible. If you don't, you are s--t out of luck. Small serving of gallo pinto twice a day. They may be fat when the hit jail but they are not when they leave. If you get ten years in jail here, you spend ten years in jail. If you have a fine with your sentence and do not have the money to pay it you could pull up to three more years. I think they should try this in the USA.
Your would come out much better walking down the worst streets in Managua than the same in Detroit, Houston, LA or New Orleans. You may have nothing left but you clothes here but the chances of dying or being beaten are almost nill. I am 70 years old and work a gold dredge in the mountains and rivers of Nicaragua and have never had any trouble with the Indians or Nicas. My wife stays home by herself and our Nica neighbors keep a close eye on her when I am gone. I didn't come to Nicaragua because the cost of living is cheap. This is the land of opportunity. Nothing is a hundred percent but Nicaragua is a very safe place to live. Is there corruption here? Yes. The difference is it cost you a lot less here than in the USA. The corruption started when the first ship landed from Spain some 500 years ago. You can say it is almost culture. Nicaragua is a great country. If you are coming here to change it, stay where you are. You are the one that will have to change. I get so F--k--g tired of people worrying about crime here when it is probably much worse where you are in the USA or Europe. If you are afraid of dying, you have never learned to live.

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Hi bluewind ...
None of the Central American countries are "paradise". For that matter, neither is the USA. The choice to live here, is the freedom to live comfortably with what $$ you have, without further gouging of your pocket. That, of course, is my opinion, and not necessarily shared by others.

My defense is not a gun. I rely on my wicked antennae ... I do not automatically trust. My trust meter runs differently than most. Caution however will not protect me from violent acts of crime. So be it ... in the USA or here in Nicaragua ... it's the same to me. If I owned a gun, I could fire a gun but I don't want to own one or shoot one ... that's just me. Guns are not guarantees. Despite what most people might say, I strongly believe that the "experienced" gun owner could, in fact, protect him or herself admirably. An inexperienced gun owner is, in my opinion, a danger to themselves and others. For most people, it takes a lot of practice to be good at using a gun. I DO NOT mean firing the gun and successfully hitting the target .... I DO mean the ability to access the weapon in a timely fashion to thwart potential violence. THAT takes mucho practice!!!!

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I would never want to live in a country where it is necessary to have a gun in order to feel safe.
I understand what you say 2bears that the amount of money you have has a lot to do with you decide where to hang your hat. At 63, I'm doing fine NOW, but that will change in the future, and of course, I expect to have more health issues as I get older, thus, my reason to look elsewhere now.

By the way, I checked out the town you live in, and it sounds pretty nice.

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Bluewind ... Matagalpa IS nice. 10 degrees cooler than anything below the belt ... so to speak. Several times over the past month, in the late evening, I have put a sweater on. :) It's so nice and cool in the evening, I even sleep with a throw! What a concept!

We've been walking all over town discovering the stores, restaurants and observing "how things are done". We live near the center of town so we get the usual hum of "life" in town. IE, drumming practice at the school at 6:00 am (LOL), traffic, street loud speakers advertising or playing current teen / young adult latino music, street vendors and street preachers, music from all the churches surrounding us with singing AND ... LOTS of bombas for every saint in the book! (LOL)

I actually feel safe here. While Managua has a lot more to offer, shopping-wise (and I DO miss the convenience of finding what you want), I never felt completely safe in Managua. Theft rate is much higher. Because our landlord's mother will be living next door to us (when she returns from USA in January), we will never have to worry about our home being unprotected. The dona's son is available should we run into a problem.

I won't lie to you. We miss the USA and have thought about returning. It's a serious toss. But, for now, I am content to enjoy this new lifestyle. :)

Good night! Sleep well!
Linda

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Thanks for addressing this issue. I live in Texas when owning guns is favored by the majority. Guns do not equal safety.

I am a teacher and one of my former students was shot and killed on Thanksgiving Day. Not by a robber or gang member but by his sister in his parent's house.

A woman in my friend's flower shopt would not go to certain sides of town without her gun. She had take a course to qualify for carrying a concealed handgun and considered herself highly qualified to own her weapon. She also kept the gun on the keyboard in the flower shop where we worked. We were more afraid of what here response would be in a situation where she felt threatened than anything else.

Such paranoia is as much a danger to those around you as it is to any would be robber. My "valuables" are replaceable but those I care about are not.

Thanks for listening. I just found out about my former student and this thread really hit a nerve.

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Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Louisiana and Oklahoma have the most liberal gun laws in the country. They also have the lowest gun crimes per capita in the USA. Also less home invasions and car jackings, Illinois, New York, California, Colorado and others have the most severe and lead the pack in gun related crimes.
A real study was researched and done in the USA on mass murder cases. They were all democrats and liberals. Thus I believe you are correct in not placing a gun in their hands. I am from a small ranching community in Texas. The country has 12000 people in it. The only gun violence there was a person was robbing a gas station and the owner shot him. Paranoid people should not have guns. Normal people do quite well with them. Does anyone realize how many wildlife programs are paid for with revenue received from tax on hunting license, gun sales and many hunting activities?
I pulled two years in a war. I guess we should have thrown rocks at them. But then again, all but one of these wars were started while democrats and liberals were in office.

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WOW! Majicjack, you definitely told it like it is, and I can appreciate that. I think a lot of the concern about crime in other countries is based on what I and other people hear in the media. When people read about the need to secure your home with high walls with barbed wire and have two big dogs, etc,, it would give anybody pause to think about the move. You really can't blame people for being concerned when they hear horror stories, but I can understand your frustration. Sounds like you are well-connected to your community and I'm sure that makes a difference.I hope things continue to go well for you.

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2bears,
Thanks for the feedback. Metagalpa sounds like a place to definitely check out. I just wish it was closer to the beach, but you can't have everything.
I like my quiet, so living in the center of any town wouldn't do. I just spent the day with 7th graders, and my ears are still ringing, so finding a nice quiet place is important to me, no loud music, traffic noise, etc. That's why I have always liked living in the suburbs. Close to everything but not too close. That's what I'd be looking for. I had pretty much given up on Nica for various reasons, but your take on Matagalpa sounds like worth a look.
Again, I admire your incredible courage and determination in making it happen for you and your friend in Nica.

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I get tired of every thing getting blamed on guns. People kill, not guns or people treating people that do have guns as criminals or some type of idiot. Cigarettes. alcohol, automobiles, knives and hammers kill more people each year in the USA than guns. Let's outlaw all of them.
If you know what you are doing guns are nice to have around if you need it. Police can't protect you. If you are an idiot or unstable, or afraid of guns, you don't need to be handling guns. Everyone that lives in this small town knows I am armed and have never been tested.

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Let me be a little more clear on my stance. It is not so much gun ownership as it is other factors that bother me:

1. Most people have little training in the use of guns. Many people who take a base course in the use of fire arms and a safety or/or a certification course think that makes them highly qualified which it does not.
2. There are many people who gain a false sense of power and security from gun ownership. For some, paranoia and fear lead to uneccessary violence.
3. Owning a gun is one thing but semi-automatic weapons are quite another. If you live in a war zone and have had extensive training I might see owning one but the average and "normal" person in a national with a more or less average crime owning them is quite another.

In addition labeling people as liberal or conservation and classifying them as the root of all evil is conterproductive. Issues should be analyzed and supported on their individual merit not by identification with any polar extreme.

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What started out as a question on safety in Nicaragua has turned into a class on gun ownership and proper use of guns, what guns should be legal or not being presented by a person that does not own a gun.
Everyone has a story about knowing someone that was killed by a gun. If this were true, the death rate would be unbelievable. I would be more likely to believe that nearly everyone knows someone that was killed by a drunk driver, drug overdose, drowning and many other causes other than gun violence. If one has to be an expert in the activities they participate in, we are in trouble. Last week in Texas a young man killed four people while driving intoxicated in a stolen vehicle and walked away with a slap on the wrist if even that. Anything can be used as a weapon and in 99% of most cases are other than a gun.
Relative to conservatives and liberals, yes there is a difference. Conservatives are wanting to keep the constitution in place and all the freedoms and rights guaranteed by the constitution. Liberals are out to destroy the constitution and bypass it in any way they can.
One question I ask when people start trying to tell people that live in Nicaragua how to live or handle their problems here is, do you live in Nicaragua or have you ever lived in Nicaragua? Not a vacation but lived here. If you have not, then you can't truthfully answer any questions except hearsay from other people. To be very blunt, most tourist that get ripped off is because of their own dumbass mistakes.
If a person ask a question, they should be told the truth and not painted a pretty picture. If they can accept the situation here and still want to live here, these are the type people we want here to begin with. Don't send us your weak, hungry, crooked or worthless. Send someone that can make a difference and appreciate this country

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The person you described in the four deaths in Texas came from a very wealthy family with good connections. I'm sure it is the same in Nicaragua or any other country. If you have the money, you can get away with just about anything. Money and influence got this kid off the hook.
Also, both conservatives and democrats use the constitution to their advantage. It's politics.

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We have blamed it on guns, money, politician and God knows what next? How about the fact that there are just some sorry assed people in this world. 1. The reason we are in Nicaragua is because it is a nice country. 2. We have more freedom and less regulation here than in the United States. 3 We do not have to worry about being knocked in the head and mugged when we walk down the streets at night. Yes there is corruption here but it is just as bad in the United States and affects people in the US much worse than the petty corruption here. 4. We are treated with respect and dignity here. The Nicas still raise their children to respect the elderly. 5. We do not have to put up with all BS that the politician put people through in the USA. 6 Religion is practiced very freely here with the blessing of the government. If you are retired and living on a fixed income, you can live a dignified life here which is more than I can say about the USA. If all you are looking for is the bad in a country, you wont be satisfied regardless of where you go. I do not keep statistics nor do I know anyone that does. Figures don't lie, but liars can figure. After living in this country for four years I will say it is the safest one I have been in yet and I have been I quite a few.

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majicjack,

You are one individual my hubby and I would like to meet. I have been reading these for a week now and joined. My hubby and I always smile when we read your comments or replies.

Not kissing ass, just a compliment and one can tell a lot about people by how they write, what they say......you seem very stable, balanced, and not afraid to say 1+1=2, and not could be something else.

keep us smiling :-)

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I want to thank you very much for the refreshing compliment. I am quite sure there are many on here That would disagree with you.
If you ever get down this way, you are more than welcome to drop in and have a cup or what ever we have in the cabinet.
Thanks again and hope you had a very Merry Christmas and will have a wonderful New Year

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00abuse

A friend of mine in Leon in the Colone Universidad had home invades enter while he was home. When he ran into them they announced they had guns and ordered him into a bathroom. There were three of them in his hous, another outside in a new Toyota Hillux. Entry was made prying his gate with a crobar, same with his front door. Fortunately they were spooked and fled. He now has a heavy chain further securing his gate and metal pates and beams re-enforcing his door. Police reported another home invasion 200 meters away and another near Fatima in Leon. The suspects apparently are from Managua. Bad news is the way most homes are built, you cannot escape such through a rear exit, My friend was born in Nicaragua but spent most of his 40 years in North America. He is fluent in both Spanish and English. Bad point is if you aren't there is heightened danger. Keep in mind the methods of entry are something you can defend against. And the best protection of all is neighbors getting togeter to protect others.

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00abuse

Crime including armed robbery is endemic in Ni. Good news, foreigners are not targeted. It is much easier to rob poor Nicas who don't fight back and don't files police reports. Also saves the government and cops the trouble or explaining the high crime rate-- no police report, no crime!

In 10 years I am the only one in my family who has not been robbed, knock on wood.

Also, you get your gun permit at the Daem police (pronounced "dime"). a lawyer is not needed in any way, unless he is also a taxista and can shuttle you all over town for a couple weeks. You must know enough Spanish to talk to the shrink. Guns and ammo cost 2.5 x what they cost in the states and selection is crappy.

Meanwhile sharpen your machete and make a sharp stick. Mine was a 3/4 inch piece of steel tubing cut at about a 45 % angle.

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00abuse

Or simply go to Youtube and watch a video such as Top 10 self made weapons. Neighbors have barb wire. So just for fun I bought a few florescent light ballasts and made some Jacob's Ladders. The electric arc climbs the wires and then snaps. Keep in mind it takes approximately 10,000 volts to gap an inch. So 120,000 volts will do a foot. Quite a shock for someone coming through the door. No, not lethal, but sure will put them out of action a bit. And turn it on at your fence line a few times and let people see they'll think you are the Famous Dr Frankenstein. A Tesla Coil or Van de Graf Generator is even better. People have great fear of the unknown and what they don't understand.

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00abuse

ELDUE, I am glad to hear you have not been a target of crime , and likely not a target of sexual abuse. But to make assertions of high crime levels with guns is simply 'Fake News". Did you get your criminal law degree from Trump University? Or did you just see all this violence from your high rise apt in NYC or your back porch in Alaska? Nicaragua has the lowest VIOLENT crime rate in all the Americas. Get used to it. Daniel does a good job.
And as to your gun stuff. good facts on aquisition, but do you realize as a foreigner if you use a gun on a Nicaraguan, you will be deported for good. You are a guest. Best give the whole picture before advocating guns to Expats.

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00abuse

I have always felt safe here, even in Managua. By their equipment Nicaraguan police don't look impressive. But I find them far more effective than the US like police in Costa Rica, Panama and Ecuador. Part of the reason I live here rather than those other places.

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00abuse

Hammer, on this we agree. This small socialist republic and it's people we meet every day have lived through 3 wars the Us supported. And never once did they treaten the US. We are fortunate to live in a country that has found itself at peace.

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10abuse

As a Vietnam Vet I am still amazed that both Nicaragua and Panama that the US invaded, treat me so much better than my own. Absolutely no grudges. And they definitely separate the government from the people and politics from the military. Been meaning to visit Vietnam and see if they likewise hold no hostilities from the past.

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00abuse

Last in Us I attended parties with my Nica families and their employers. Most are young family men who do good work no black or white 'ciitizen', native gringo wants to show up for . They "Make America Great" and it is my shame they are now scrambling to get out. My boy just told me they are doing car checks, If he is caught, he has to leave all our goods he acumulated behind. It is an international crime America will do this to our people who have done nothng but
'Make America Great'.

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00abuse

Strange, when Nic prevents African, etc., illegals from entering it is national sovereignty, but when the US does the same it is a "crime".

The criminals, if there are any, are the politicians of both parties who let this situation grow until it was a crisis that needed firm action.

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00abuse

Eldue it is always a pleasuere to sift through your cobweb postings, somethiing like Friday morning crosswords. But if you think a wall is a good idea, look at history : 'Monuments to losers'. You wall out, you wall in. Trump will spend our financial legacy to prove we could not come to grips with our own friendly neighbors. It will be torn down in time. The embarasment of American ignorance.

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00abuse

Trump's Wall would be viewed like the Berlin Wall. Also the Chinese built a higher, wider, longer wall 2500 years ago that failed. So another lesson in futility. Besides the Immigrants are simply passing through seeking better lives in Canada.

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10abuse

WALLS MAKE ME CRAZY. YOU KEEP SOMETHING OUT, YOU ARE KEEPING ME IN. NO ONE KEEPS ME IN!

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00abuse

I don't know what the answer is to illegal immigration, but building a wall and breaking up families is not the answer. People will always find a way to get into the States and deporting families that have been in the States for decades is just cruel. Some of these people, especially the kids don't know anything about Mexico or where their parents came from. Many don't even speak Spanish. They are as American as any of us. But many people don't care about families being torn apart. After all, it doesn't affect them. Just wait when the cost of many things go up cause farmers, etc., have to increase wages to get people to work in the fields (if they can find people to do the work). People will change their minds when it hits them in the wallet. And guess who pays for any trade war? It's easy to jump on the wagon and say deport them all. It's another thing when the price of many things go up. But I guess a true patriot would have no problem with that. Right?

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00abuse

Wow. no walls! I trust you at least have a thatched roof held up by 4 poles. Are you an exhibitionist?

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00abuse

Wow. no walls! I trust you at least have a thatched roof held up by 4 poles. Are you an exhibitionist?

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00abuse

What is a gmm?

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00abuse

I didn't say the wall wouldn't make a difference. I'm just saying people will always find a way to get in the USA. Air, land and sea, there's always a way.

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00abuse

@longhammer.........Im curious why you would make that statement about police in Ecuador and Costa Rica......I live in Panama and yes it rings true........Panama is essentially a police state.....american style and trained.......but Costa and Ecuador? I lived in C.R. for 10 yrs and the cops were a joke......I had to do their work for them........they have probably gotten better since I left, like the roads have......and the garbage too........But Ecuador?? I only cruised though there for 1 month a few years back, but never once felt intimidated by the police like here in Panama, but didnt drive....Until you drive in a country you dont really know.......But Ecuador is way more advanced than Nicaragua, cleaner, more civilized, and even cheaper......except for cars and certain imported items........same as C.R. or Nica......Panama is still the best shopping center in latin america........but not necesarily the nicest, safest, most appealing place to live..........Ecuador has a homicide rate of about 6 per 100,000........Chile 3 per 100,000.....Panama and C.R. now tied at 11, and Nica at 8.........So whoever it was that said that Nica is the safest place in latin america is dreaming........but it is the safest place in terms of homicide rates in central america..........But Ecuador, Chile, and Uruguay are way better than all of em................Pls elaborate on how nasty the police are in Ecuador.........I know all about it here in Panama..........

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00abuse

Ecuador like Costa Rica and Panama all have presidents who were approved by the US and had US Military or CIA training. And for all their equipment it is those same countries from which drugs go to the US. Nicaragua receives sanctions. Yet Nicaragua halts drug trafficking very well. I never said the police in Ecuador were nasty. Just that in Ecuador 4 police would be in a new Chevy or Ford 4X4 going down the highway with their lights flashing and 2 or 3 of them asleep just as in Panama and Costa Rica. You probably missed the fact that the media was silenced in Ecuador years ago. If the government doesn't like what is said they sue for libel and that's the end of the publication or station. US spent $6 million in Nicaragua's last election trying to defeat Ortega. That of course is in violation of the US Constitution, International Law and the Charter of the Organization of American States. And of course they failed. True driving gives a area of experience. But I walked all 4 countries extensively as well as biked. And that allowed me much more contact with people than merely honking at other cars.. In Costa Rica the police liked to shake down tourists with walking sticks trying to say it was a weapon. Meanwhile criminals laugh at Costa Rican police. Unless they are in their truck, they are't going to catch much.wearing those boots and vest and Batman Belt. Of the 4 countries mentioned I found Costa Rica the worst by far, Police in Panama never intimidated me. Laughably Costa Rica claims to have the biggest mall, but far from it. Albrook Mall in Panama is over 4.1 million square feet, 15th largest in the world. Only in Asia are there larger. But then malls are dying. All the expense of building them, high rents but few shoppers has been the result for well over 2 decades. For scenery and weather I place Costa Rica and Ecuador at the top. For roads, at the bottom due the rugged terrain. I owned a large parcel of land in Bolivia but would not like to return there as 8 years after purchase the government repatriated it to Natives. I drove my pickup from Tucson to Santiago Chile twice and my BMW motorcycles 4 times. But back then the highways were safer, less crowded and they had ferries to get you to Colombia past the Darien Gap. My truck was a 1977 Ford F250 with a 460, intercooled Allison Supercharger. I had been working for Allied Signal Turbine Division and Morton-Thiokol at the time. Gas was a hell of a lot cheaper back then as well. All 3 of my BMWs likewise had Superchargers. Not Turbochargers. Still more often or not I would return to the US by ship to Port of Los Angeles. Going would take a toll on vehicles. With all the NASA Project decals on my vehicles I got excellent treatment. I couldn't convince them I was not an astronaut. I only built and tested the rockets.
Little note on Allied - Signal. They had a Boeing 707 with three Pratt&Whitney Turbofan engines and a diesel prop engine that flew from Burbank California to Phoenix Arizona and back daily. That diesel produced more thrust than the other 3. And used only about 30% as much fuel. The blades were wrap around without tips to keep thrust at high speeds. Too bad it was piston or likely these would be in use. Made of titanium. But piston engines have to be torn down and inspected while jet engines just get a spectrographic oil analysis.
On land of the 4 countries, I think Ecuador has the best land deals. But like all else won't last long.

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00abuse

I have been here 3 months, traveled in Managua + costa Rica by myself , and feel very safe. I am 60, single , so often do things by myself.
I was at the bus station by myself for an hour lat week in Managua, and very safe. I am not sure that would have happened in California, or US. I can walk here, drive carefully, and like anywhere, watch my belongings. I have never felt threatened. My experience is the Nicaraguan people are gracious, and welcome visitors , and want to take care of them.

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00abuse

I'm 69 and have walked one end of Managua to another for 8 months (that 2-1/2 years ago) even late after midnight without incident. Of course I did know of a few places to avoid ant didn't go there. I did generally avoid intercity buses, I wouldn't attempt that in Panama City, San Jose or Quito. But then I don't get easily rattled after a year in Vietnam and walking there unarmed in a uniform with a bounty on me equal to about 30 years average wage. Only MPs were allowed to go armed in Saigon. Makes one wonder what sort of nut made that law.
Places that do scare me are bus stops in the US. I have known quite a few people robbed of everything they had after being knocked in the head in NYC, Tucson, Phoenix, Las Vegas, LA, Eugene. One of them even robbed of his wheelchair as well as ID. Four days at the VA and he was getting nowhere (had to prove he was a vet as well as his need for a wheelchair, which should have been obvious as he had both legs amputated at the hip) so I bought him a used wheelchair out of the newspaper for $50 a bus ticket back to Las Vegas, his home town to round up new ID's. Haven't been there myself but know plenty of people visiting Paris that say they got robbed and beaten by police while using restrooms. Mostly US Military. Haven't heard much bad about the rest of France except for many skilled pickpockets. Course if one uses drugs, gets drunk or consorts with prostitutes, all bets are off on safety. You might as well be wearing a T-shirt advertising Target.

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00abuse

If anyone needs something to worry about, see the evening news. Bus driver runs red light with extreme prejudice, 3 dead at last count.

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00abuse