https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2019/03/22/police-issue-report-on-san-pedro-double-murder/
It was fine, sleepy place back in the 80's/90's. I used to love sitting on the hotel verandah on weekends and watching the classic evening walk. Since then, it has become a crime ridden, heavily US visitor influenced mess. Guns are everywhere. Petty crime is a daily, credit card crime is rampant, strong arm robberies common (and targeting ex-pats), and of course, homicides-almost all of which are never solved..
Belize is now #4 in the global murder rate. There were eight murders in San Pedro/Ambergris in 2017, a big uptick in '18, and off to a roaring start in 2019.
My friend Jack, who has lived there since 1993, has put his restaurant up for sale, citing safety for his family (his daughter moved to the states last year to go to high school) and a totally corrupt police force.
Tourists continue to stream into Belize, blissfully unaware of the potential dangers, their lack of knowledge compounded by hucksters and promoters. International Living, that disgraceful promotional publication, just did a lead story telling people not to miss out on the buying opportunity! It is a buying opportunity made possible by people who made a bad call on buying there, and discovered paradise wasn't quite it was stacked up to be.
If you want to move there, knock yourself out, but do some
reading and investigation first-and not in "Islands" or "Travel and Leisure." They lie-they are paid to lie. Belize is not the paradise it was when I lived in Placencia back in the day.
It was fine, sleepy place back in the 80's/90's. I used to love sitting on the hotel verandah on weekends and watching the classic evening walk. Since then, it has become a crime ridden, heavily US visitor influenced mess. Guns are everywhere. Petty crime is a daily, credit card crime is rampant, strong arm robberies common (and targeting ex-pats), and of course, homicides-almost all of which are never solved..
Belize is now #4 in the global murder rate. There were eight murders in San Pedro/Ambergris in 2017, a big uptick in '18, and off to a roaring start in 2019.
My friend Jack, who has lived there since 1993, has put his restaurant up for sale, citing safety for his family (his daughter moved to the states last year to go to high school) and a totally corrupt police force.
Tourists continue to stream into Belize, blissfully unaware of the potential dangers, their lack of knowledge compounded by hucksters and promoters. International Living, that disgraceful promotional publication, just did a lead story telling people not to miss out on the buying opportunity! It is a buying opportunity made possible by people who made a bad call on buying there, and discovered paradise wasn't quite it was stacked up to be.
If you want to move there, knock yourself out, but do some
reading and investigation first-and not in "Islands" or "Travel and Leisure." They lie-they are paid to lie. Belize is not the paradise it was when I lived in Placencia back in the day.
