Costa Rica has secured first place as the safest country in Latin America, according to the latest update of the Global Peace Index. With its low violent crime rate and stable political environment, it stands out as a safe haven in a region facing security challenges. Of course, COVID-19 will have had an impact while safety data was being collected from this country. The problem with trying to assess medical safety in developing countries during a global pandemic is that testing is not affordable for everyone — neither the government nor the general population — and the lack of power and money of these countries on the global stage means that they often rank low in the pecking order to receive solutions once discovered.
Some parts of the cities, of course, are unreliable, so be careful with the safest areas before traveling to Peru (or anywhere else, for that matter). Check out my destination guides and travel tips for Peru here. Check out my destination guides and travel tips for Bolivia here. Check out my destination guides and travel tips for Ecuador here.
I feel that Paraguay is one of those countries that simply keeps its head down and gets to work. One thing I noticed when I visited Paraguay was that the wealth gap is HUGE, so people are rich from the elite of São Paulo or poor in the hills of La Paz. Paraguay does not perform very well in terms of the economic cost of violence, which explores indicators such as armed conflict and internal displacement. Argentina is best known for its political and economic instability, so as a tourist, you don't need to worry too much about the risk of violent crime.
Once again, protests can take place, and declaring bankruptcy approximately every 5 years is a trick that the Argentine government likes and that can make money difficult to value and obtain. COVID-19 may have accelerated this pattern, so keep an eye on the economic situation before traveling. Check out my destination guides and travel tips for Argentina here. However, a key reason why Panama continues to occupy the center of the 10 safest countries in Latin America is that it suffered riots in recent years due to the reforms that the government tried to promote and that were going to have a significant effect on marginalized groups.
These protests occur mainly in Panama City, so they are unlikely to affect travel around the rest of the country. Check out my destination guides and travel tips for Panama here. Far from the big cities, the most beautiful areas of Chile are still very quiet, so keep up with the protests and plan your trip to the previously safest country in South America. Check out my destination guides and travel tips for Chile here.
I lived in Mexico in the 90s. It's a little different, but he only felt really nervous once. I didn't get much because of the work, but again, I felt very safe, thanks for the article. The Colon area of Panama doesn't like Americans who throw stones at me in places that wouldn't serve me, they feed me just like in Panama City.
Thank you for standing up for the truth. And the truth is that El Salvador will soon become the safest country in the entire continent of North and South America. Homicide rates in El Salvador have literally fallen to one death, and if you have read the news lately you realize that the president has just sent 10,000 soldiers to arrest gang members, very soon El Salvador will become the SAFEST country in ALL of Latin America. And I'm saying this like a Salvadoran.
Costa Rica stands out for being the only country in the world without a standing army, which reinforces its reputation as a peaceful nation. Interestingly, since arriving in Uruguay was the first time I set foot on South American soil, I remember being stuck in the continent's bad reputation and feeling completely nervous for the first 2 weeks or so, even though it's technically safer than my home country. It is more likely to affect tourists and, therefore, one of the key indicators to consider the safest countries in Latin America for travelers is the level of civil unrest. The one that most disappoints me to see so low in the ranking of the safest countries in Latin America is Colombia, since it obviously holds a special place in my heart.
This is very important to know and it entails many challenges in arriving at an accurate list of the safest countries in Latin America. Costa Rica, which for a long time was a safe haven for tourists who wanted to immerse themselves in traveling to Latin America without being too exposed to many of the dangers associated with this region, remains at the top of the safest countries in Latin America to travel and, in fact, has risen one place in the rankings since last year. If you are an economically stable person and have money, Costa Rica is by far the best option to live in Latin America. The recognition of Costa Rica as the “Best Destination in Latin America” in the first edition of the National Geographic Travel Readers' Choice Awards is well deserved.
Most petty crimes in Colombia (and, honestly, in many other Latin American countries) can be prevented if you are aware of your surroundings and don't draw attention to yourself as a tourist. As many parts of Latin America continue to face political crises and civil unrest, there is one nation in particular that not only enjoys lasting social and economic stability, but also an enviable status as the safest among all members of the geopolitical group. However, with the limited global data that exists, this is one of the most accurate indices for estimating which are the safest countries in Latin America at the moment. .
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