The Expat Files: Living in Latin America

• Johnny’supcoming week-long “Latin American Insider Seminar” will be in Guatemala and El Salvador (November 13–20, 2026).  For details go to Expatplanb.com or click on:

https://www.expatplanb.com/expat-insider-seminar-nov-2026/

• Only a handful of Latin American countries (Chile, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica) actively enforce mandatory yearly vehicle technical inspections; most others have the laws but rarely enforce them.
• Annual vehicle registration stickers (“marbetes”) are required everywhere and are usually obtained at banks after paying taxes and any outstanding tickets.
• Many expats avoid sticking the ugly yearly marbete on the windshield and simply keep it in the glove compartment; police rarely care as long as you can show proof of payment.
• Traffic tickets in Latin America are cheap compared with the U.S.; fighting them is possible but often wastes more time than the fine is worth.
• A listener email from Panama contrasts the high cost and entitlement culture of U.S. dating/weddings with the much lower cost and more appreciative attitude of a Latina spouse in Panama.
• One of the biggest attractions of living in Latin America (especially off the tourist trail) is a slower, less stressful, more manageable lifestyle.
• Johnny criticizes expats who constantly complain and try to force Latin culture to match their home-country expectations instead of adapting.
• Listeners praise Grok AI for giving more direct, less politically correct answers than ChatGPT.
• A warning about recent data breaches involving Ledger and Trezor hardware-wallet customer mailing lists, leading to phishing emails and fake official-looking letters.

 Be sure to pick up my newly updated, "2026 - LATIN AMERICAN HEALTHCARE REPORT":

The new edition for 2026 (and beyond) is available now, including the latest "Stem Cell Clinic" info and data and my top picks for the best treatment centers for expats and gringos. Just go to www.ExpatPlanB.com                

• Johnny announces his next one-week Latin American Insider seminar in Guatemala and El Salvador (November 14–20, 2026).
• He observes that most small tiendas, mini-marts, and wholesale businesses across Latin America are owned by Chinese and Koreans.
• Large chain stores like La Torre, Costco, and Walmart are owned by wealthy Latino families, while smaller scruffier shops are Asian-owned.
• Hardware stores (ferreterías) are a rare exception rarely owned by Asians due to the specialized product knowledge required.
• Asians are described as highly industrious, frugal, and work long hours, rarely spending on restaurants, bars, or vacations except for nice cars.
• Latinos generally do not resent Asian business dominance and would not trade places with them because of cultural differences in spending and lifestyle.
• Johnny strongly recommends using the “hidden wallet” feature with an extra passphrase on Ledger or Trezor cold wallets for better security after recent hacks.
• He reviews median fixed broadband speeds in Latin America, with Chile leading at 335 Mbps and Cuba at the bottom with only 4 Mbps.
• Prescription drugs (including Viagra, pain meds, opioids, and now GLP-1s) are widely available without a prescription at many mom-and-pop pharmacies despite official rules.
• Ecuadorian authorities have seized over 20,000 motorcycles since 2021 for lack of plates, registration, or licenses, which Johnny celebrates.

 Be sure to pick up my newly updated, "2026 - LATIN AMERICAN HEALTHCARE REPORT":

The new edition for 2026 (and beyond) is available now, including the latest "Stem Cell Clinic" info and data and my top picks for the best treatment centers for expats and gringos. Just go to www.ExpatPlanB.com                

 

·  Avoid Facebook expat groups — they create a dependency bubble full of know-it-alls, sellers, and political ranting.

·  WhatsApp is essential in Latin America; without it you’re basically cut off from daily life.

·  Machetes are common and rarely used for crime except crimes of passion.

·  Cleaning staff often salvage useful items from your trash and may open their purses for inspection when leaving.

·  Most toilets are cemented rather than properly bolted to the floor to save time and money.

·  Cheap steel screws rust rapidly in the tropics; stainless steel is rarely used by local contractors.

·  Peruvian flute bands mysteriously appear in every tourist-heavy park around the world selling CDs no one will ever play.

·  Boa constrictors almost never kill people, but venomous snakes still cause several hundred deaths a year in Latin America, especially in rural areas.

 Be sure to pick up my newly updated, “2026 – LATIN AMERICAN HEALTHCARE REPORT”:

The new edition for 2026 (and beyond) is available now, including the latest “Stem Cell Clinic” info and data and my top picks for the best treatment centers for expats and gringos. Just go to www.ExpatPlanB.com                

#1- More on that crazy Guatemalan Jade mining story:

 

#2- Proof why Latin American governments can never be trusted: 

Oh, and the US govt is even worse….

 

#3- The problem with Miami mailbox forwarding services:

 

#4- What you never knew about your Latin American electric bill:

 

#5- Why buying a hybrid car is NEVER recommended:

 

#6- How newbee green gringos are easily misled by woke Fakebook gringo expats sites:

 

#7- More proof that only corrupt people need run for Latin American political office:

The question is… are the candidates just a little corrupt or a lot corrupt?  

#8- Be sure to pick up my newly updated, "2026 - LATIN AMERICAN HEALTHCARE REPORT":

The new edition for 2026 (and beyond) is available now, including the latest "Stem Cell Clinic" info and data and my top picks for the best treatment centers for expats and gringos. Just go to www.ExpatPlanB.com                

 

#1- DYK that severe Air B&B restrictions are in the works in most all Latin American countries?

So, as govts. crack down, Gringos and expats must be aware that owning an Airbnb is NOT a long term good or sure investment anymore...  

 

#2- DYK Costa Rica has double the minimum wage of most all other Latin American countries, and they enforce it:

That means in the rest of Latin America you can get 2 cleaning ladies for the price of a single Costa Rican maid…  

 

#3- What laws do Latin American cops actually crack down on or seem to enforce?

 

#4- Homeowner’s insurance policies in Latin America:

 

#5- Emotional support animals and their whimpy owners in Argentina:

 

#6- About that rat's nest of wires you're seeing on the nearest power pole:

 

#7- My Book Review of a brand new must read called, “ THE GRINGO ADVANTAGE”

Finally… there is an actual no BS step by step guide to getting out of dodge...

#8- Be sure to pick up my newly updated, "2026 - LATIN AMERICAN HEALTHCARE REPORT":

The new edition for 2026 (and beyond) is available now, including the latest "Stem Cell Clinic" info and data and my top picks for the best treatment centers for expats and gringos. Just go to www.ExpatPlanB.com                

 

#1- Dumb and dumber in Latin America:

 

#2- A word about physical books and bookstores in Latin America:

 

#3- What you really need to know about phone and internet plans in Latin America:

 

#4- What the Narcoculture influence has done to women in Mexico:

 

#5- Emotional support animals and their wimpy owners in Argentina:

 

#6- The downsides of having a Latina GF:

 

#7- Latino male complaints about American Gringas:

#8- Be sure to pick up my newly updated, "2026 - LATIN AMERICAN HEALTHCARE REPORT":

The new edition for 2026 (and beyond) is available now, including the latest "Stem Cell Clinic" info and data and my top picks for the best treatment centers for expats and gringos. Just go to www.ExpatPlanB.com                

#1- To be fat or obese in Latin America:

 

#2- Ozempic and GLP-1’s have arrived in Latin America:

Is that a good or bad thing? Do the locals even understand it?

 

#3- Brownouts, blackouts and power outages in Latin America AND the USA:

Are you prepared to suffer or will you just put up with it?

 

#4- Why its absolutely time to go solar and off-grid no matter where you live:

Why the payback time period is worth the initial cost…  

#5- Be sure to pick up my newly updated, "2026 - LATIN AMERICAN HEALTHCARE REPORT":

The new edition for 2026 (and beyond) is available now, including the latest "Stem Cell Clinic" info and data and my top picks for the best treatment centers for expats and gringos. Just go to www.ExpatPlanB.com                

 

Descriptions - 

 

#1- When your rudimentary Spanish suddenly allows you to hear things you are not supposed to hear:

 

#2- Living super cheap in the Latin American boonies:

 

#3- The govt in Ecuador is more corrupt than you can imagine:

 

#4- So many little daily irritations have such simple solutions that are never addressed:

 

#5- The #1 crime (by far) committed against individuals in Latin America is.....

 

#6- What do most American women who fly down to Latin America for plastic surgery (BBL’s, etc) have in common- besides wanting an improved butt and a thinner waist 

 

#7- Our own Expat Captain Mango has developed a unique one-on-one Crypto consulting and training service (he’s been deep into crypto since 2013). To get started, email him at:

bewarecaptainmango@gmail.com 

#8- Be sure to pick up my newly updated, "2026 - LATIN AMERICAN HEALTHCARE REPORT":

The new edition for 2026 (and beyond) is available now, including the latest "Stem Cell Clinic" info and data and my top picks for the best treatment centers for expats and gringos. Just go to www.ExpatPlanB.com                

 

 

 

#1- The preponderance of hacks and data breaches in Latin America and how they affect gringos and Expats:

 

#2- Scammers impersonating me trying to sell crap in my name:

 

#3- The Latin American / Miami real estate connection is real:

 

#4- Envy, jealosy and snobbery in Latin America:

 

#5- The simple thing that most all successful Expats have in common:

 

#6- You don’t ever want a Latino, or especially a Latina, to refer to you as a “papa sin sal”    

 

#7- Our own Expat Captain Mango has developed a unique one-on-one Crypto consulting and training service (he’s been deep into crypto since 2013). To get started, email him at:

bewarecaptainmango@gmail.com 

#8- Be sure to pick up my newly updated, "2026- LATIN AMERICAN HEALTHCARE REPORT":

The new edition for 2026 (and beyond) is available now, including the latest "Stem Cell Clinic" info and data and my top picks for the best treatment centers for expats and gringos. Just go to www.ExpatPlanB.com 

 

#1- What do Expat Files listeners have in common?

 

#2- When legal Latinos living in the USA throw in the towel, get out of dodge, and move back to their home country:

 

#3- Latin American “sweatshop” realities;

 

#4- Lotteries in Latin America:  Who wins?

 

#5- DYK that Ecuador is on its 7^th round of curfew lockdowns, all of that in just the last two and half years?

Meanwhile, Ecuador is forever touted by so-called USA retirement experts as a top choice for retiring expats… how do you square that?

 

#6- Why does every scumbag Latin American politician say he loves El Salvador’s Bukele and his measures yet none of these other shit-bag politicians has yet to implement any Bukele’s ideas:

 

#7- The rapidly accelerating sad fate of Latin America’s 2.5 million call center workers:

 

#8- Our own Expat Captain Mango has developed a unique one-on-one Crypto consulting and training service (he’s been deep into crypto since 2013). To get started, email him at:

bewarecaptainmango@gmail.com 

 

#9- Be sure to pick up my newly updated, "LATIN AMERICAN HEALTHCARE REPORT":

The new edition for 2026 (and beyond) is available now, including the latest "Stem Cell Clinic" info and data and my top picks for the best treatment centers for expats and gringos. Just go to www.ExpatPlanB.com and click on the "Latin American Healthcare Report”.