Lying, cheating and dishonesty are par for the course in Chile. This fact has hardly been hidden from my readers. The problem is so pernicious and pervasive in Chile that it is worth mentioning again, and I have recetly been reminded of it as I myself fell victim to a … Read More
Over the last 20 years that I have been associated with Chile and bringing things down here from the United States and Europe, several “little” items pop up as necessities that simply are not available in the country. Therefore, I suggest that whether you are bringing a container, pallet or … Read More
Immigrants from 51% of the countries of the world are not readily welcome in Chile. It is very difficult for most people in the world even to obtain a tourist visa. The restriction applies mainly, although not exclusively, to Third World, Muslim, violence-ridden and communist countries. Some notable non-Muslim standouts included in the lists are ... Read More
It is difficult being a manager or business owner: long hours, dealing with employees and their problems, financial and time pressures, etc. In Chile, add to the mix poor customer service and often deceit. Let me give a couple of recent examples of situations in Chile when the business owner had to deal with returning………………………………………… ... Read More
Anyone who was not a true believer in Chilean construction quality before, sure must be now. On September 16, 2015, just before 8 p.m. (the sun had recently set), central Chile was struck by a powerful 8.4 Richter Scale earthquake, followed shortly thereafter by major aftershocks on that scale of 7.6, 7.2 and 6.7. The ... Read More
One of the worst parts of holding an American passport, besides FATCA rules that impede financial privacy and freedom overseas in general, and the obligation to pay income taxes on worldwide income, is traveling among hostiles. I am not just talking about travel within Arab countries or places like Central America, Venezuela, Cuba, Russia and……………… ... Read More
Not often, but every once in a while, a Chilean company gets a plug on my blog. I am not in the business of offering free advertising or promoting brands in general. However, when some benefit arises that truly affects the well-being of newcomers to Chile, I am happy to report it. For nearly 20…………………………………………………………………………… ... Read More
Language is a complex thing. For years, I have talked about how “bad” Chilean Spanish has become, degenerated over years of geographical isolation and popular ignorance. Much of the basis for my comments was rooted in the self-flagellation of Chileans themselves, which have on many occasions told me how poorly they speak by cutting out consonants……………… ... Read More
The Advantages of Free Trade By Eugenio Marí Removing restrictions on international trade has positive effects in terms of efficient resource management, consequently generating aggregate gains to human welfare. The advantages that are normally cited are increased returns to scale, increased competition, and the traditional welfare gains from voluntary exchange. However, in this Read on…………………………………………………………………………………… ... Read More
