MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Falklands-related protests are common, warns the UK travel advice on Argentina
Most visits to Argentina are trouble-free, but you should keep a close eye on your personal belongings in public places and there have been occasional Falklands-related protests against British interests in Argentina. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesI am not sure this travel advice has changed much in the last four years except, maybe, The Falklands part. Certainly crime is rising against tourists but far more involving Argentinean residents. It comes up in conversation constantly.
Apr 04th, 2013 - 10:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Usual advice . But I like the one about mustard or ketchup being cleaned !
Apr 04th, 2013 - 11:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0My American friends had their purses stolen from under a restaurant table in BA last week. But it wasn't a protest about the Falklands, nor did the thief think the ladies were British. He was just an Argentine thief going about his profession. One of probably over a million.
Apr 05th, 2013 - 12:59 am - Link - Report abuse 0Probably wiser to avoid Argentina altogether, because of the Argentines and visit Chile or Uruguay instead. They are much nicer people.
Apr 05th, 2013 - 01:13 am - Link - Report abuse 0I am british and have been in Argentina 9 years and never had a problem. Its probably that idiot William Zippy Hague that put the foriegn office up to this stupid publicity stunt. And @ 4 you are clearly a racist biggot if you can rate an entire people in such a random manor. Grow up you cretin.
Apr 05th, 2013 - 02:41 am - Link - Report abuse 0Let's all go to Europe the Paradise, with massive unemployment, corruption scandals, triple-dip recessions, nazi-neo cells, and massive snow drifts and cold.
Apr 05th, 2013 - 02:47 am - Link - Report abuse 0http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/4329/europeach.jpg
jajajajajaja, suffer Europe, suffer.
@5 everyone is entitled to a opinion. Three of my friends back packed in SA last year and guess the only country they had any trouble in was, yes ARG. They were stopped by over a dozen people right in the centre of BA just because one of them had a bag with a small Union Jack on it, they were robbed of everything at knife point, bags,money, passports even driving licences they even took their coats and shoes, they were initially stopped by around 6/7 people but others apparent strangers to the first attackers on the scene joined the attack, fucking sickening. I would not step foot in that shit hole and if you want to also call me a racist bigot go right ahead.
Apr 05th, 2013 - 02:59 am - Link - Report abuse 0Argentina is fucked! Best travel advice: Don't go!!
Apr 05th, 2013 - 03:06 am - Link - Report abuse 0I know, I was there last year, and its only gotten worse since then. People were getting robbed left and right. I even had to fend a group of thieves off with my large bowie knife, right in front of some cops, who just watched like it was entertainment.
@5
Apr 05th, 2013 - 03:16 am - Link - Report abuse 0They come from countries where children are gunned down daily in their classrooms, where innocents are shot three dozen times at the subway stations, where people's pets are tossed into the garbage can for fun, where they have riots that last weeks and burn entire sections of cities down, triple dip recessions, 16 trillion in debts because of illegal and failed wars, massive unemployment, bank scandals, interest-rate fixing, telephone tapping and violation of rights, the list goes on and on and on and on.
And of course they get fed donkey meat, and get mad cow disease to boot.
And the weather sucks.
They are forsaken societies, the lowest common denominator of humanity.
@4 Nigelpwsmith
Apr 05th, 2013 - 03:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0Agreed, the people are SO much better in Uruguay and Chile. Plus, Chile's cheaper, safer, and more professional.
I mean, if you're gonna spend money/vacation time traveling......might as well choose the best you can, right? And certainly not the WORST you can(argentina), lol.
Windy, I suspect you are just another La Cámpora financed troll¡
Apr 05th, 2013 - 07:44 am - Link - Report abuse 0#6
Apr 05th, 2013 - 08:12 am - Link - Report abuse 0Sorry, but we are fussy who we let in.
#9
And even with all that, we are streets ahead of Argentina.
#9 Your anti-european rant is laughable. If Europe is the lowest common denominator of society what does that make South America. You point out a few individual high-profile cases but ignore the real trends. For example:
Apr 05th, 2013 - 08:20 am - Link - Report abuse 0South America has a homicide rate (per capita) which is at least 10 times that of Western, Northern and Southern Europe! Nice.
Europe (at least WNS-Europe) has the lowest income inequality for a region in the world, South America's is about the worst.
True, Europe has a lot debt, but it can pay it (i.e. has a strong economy) unlike some deadbeat countries not even worth naming.
“Massive Unemployment”, unemployment is high in some members of the EU (Spain, Greece, Cyprus) but is low in France, the UK, and Germany.
What do you have to say?
JT 3
Apr 05th, 2013 - 09:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0You have professed a strong hatred of “Europeans” - in this respect I do not recognise a “nationality” of this name -so can you answer me this.
What is your attitude to “Europeans” who are emigrating to ARGENTINA ? Do you still hate them when they arrive in B.A. or is there some magical transformation when they touch the blessed soil of ARGENTINA? Does your hatred continue or does the act of landing expunge their guilt ?
Now in a more jocular fashion ( fun, isn't it)
“And of course they get fed donkey meat, and get mad cow disease to boot”
We may only eat the occasional donkey,all of yours are in your government. Mad cow disease ? Now whot could that be referring to ?.....too obvious !!
And the weather sucks...I think the citizens of BA would do us a swop right now !
As to your first para. at #9, the UK is still a better place to live than Argentina..
Lets make deal, you promise NEVER to leave Argentina and I will promise NEVER to visit Argentina. If I am lucky, I may manage to visit the Falklands and S.Georgia but as they are not part of your country, that does not count.
“”“I am british and have been in Argentina 9 years and never had a problem. Its probably that idiot William Zippy Hague that put the foriegn office up to this stupid publicity stunt.”“”
Apr 05th, 2013 - 09:43 am - Link - Report abuse 0wow, that was pretty idiotic and shows a distinct lack of knowledge about FO travel advice - are you sure you are British?
Travel advice is handed out regularly and its hardly a PR stunt, nor is the advice given any different to pretty much anywhere in the world, with the single exception of the Falklands related issues.
Indeed, if anything, the Advice is far too lenient and forgiving if we compare it to some of the advice from actual Argentines on this forum.
Your post is knee-jerk and irrational.
Every single person I know in Argentina has had some sort of crime perpetrated against them.
Apr 05th, 2013 - 11:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0Every single one
I used to live by Plaza San Martin and I can't even count the number of friends that have been mugged in that park.
5 windy
Apr 05th, 2013 - 12:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It does not surprise me you have not had a problem being as you are a convicted criminal and the only country you could get into is AR.
They see you for one of their own: broke and not worth the robbing.
@16
Apr 05th, 2013 - 12:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I am not surprised, the crime in BA is horrendous. I feel safer in Lima than in BA these days and that wasn't the case a few years ago. What is so surprising is the extent and frequency of crime in “good” part of town.
What makes me laugh is that the locals blame it on Chileans. There is plenty of crime in Santiago but nothing like as prolific as in BA, so if the perpetrators are Chilean why have they chosen a less affluent hunting ground? The answer could be the non existent law enforcement or simply that the Argies are deluded and look to blame all their problems on others.
Living in BA or in any other large city in ARG is no different from living in any other third world or Latin American megacity. ARG was traditionally a safe country but the security levels declined much during the last decades to reach the low the level of Brazilian cities ones for example.
Apr 05th, 2013 - 01:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0So It is not surprising that visitors of developed countries, out of certain habits, commit “basic mistakes” that made them targets of the thieves.
I’m not living in ARG now but I lived there many years and I visit it regularly and I’ve never suffered any robbery but I know about many people that suffered thefts.
Arguing that there is some kind of anger against British citizens is false. I know about plenty of British citizens that visited or even live in ARG (I have met even young women of student exchange schemes) and they have never faced any issue.
It is quite common to see people exhibiting UK flags or wearing football or rugby shirts of UK nations and they have never faced an issue.
I wonder if someone could wear a football or rugby shirt with the Argentine colours in the FI. Or displaying an argentine flag there.
The warning of the UK Government is part of the “war of words” being carried by both governments. I’d like to see that the UK Government made the decision to take responsibility for the communication of the FI with the world and stop begging the utilization of the Argentine airspace. I would like to see this one sided decision from the current UK Government.
Giving the strong commitment of the current UK Government with the FI I would like to see such logic and ethic attitude. If you hate and considers someone a violent and tricky person the most sensible thing is to stay away from him.
For a government of a rich country with one of the most important Defense budget in the world applying the expenses of directly communicating the FI with London and the World should not be an issue at all.
19
Apr 05th, 2013 - 01:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0No, I'm sorry, but BA is not like ANY other Latin American megacity, nor is any other city in Argentina same as BA.
Santiago feels soooo much safer than BA. And Bariloche, El Calafate, Puerto Madryn even all feel much safer than BA. Even Mendoza feels a little safer, only a little, but its noticeable. Even Cordoba is slightly safer.
If you wore Argentina colors in Falklands, no one would talk to you, they'd be rude to you, but they wouldn't physically assault you. If you wore the wrong football jersey in BA though, you could get KILLED.
Either you haven't been in Argentina in a long time, or you're just another Argie with a brainwashed perspective.
@20
Apr 05th, 2013 - 01:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Bariloche or Puerto Madryn cannot be considered megacities. They are small cities. El Calafate, one of my favourite places in Argentina is a just small town. They are all much safe than BA.
I don't know about Santiango since I have been there just in the Airport without visiting the city. But San Pablo, Rio, Caracas, Lima, Rosario, etc are cities with the same lack of security.
If you wear UK colours in Argentina nobody will tell you anything and you will be treated as any other person. I still have a traditional white english rugby shirt and I wear it in BA when trrainning and I have never faced any issue with it.
You can be killed is you wear a shirt of a local football team and you enter the wrong tribune in a stadium. I believe this can happen even in the UK.
Please, try to respect me as I respect you. Don't qualify me.
Dear Condorito. I have never heard about chilean being blamed of crimes in ARG. Where did you get that? Someone must have been pulling your leg.
21,
Apr 05th, 2013 - 02:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You're missing out, having not seen Chile. If you want to see what Argentina SHOULD be, should have become, go to Chile. Its like night and day compared to Argentina. Its truly a wonderful country, sometimes I think about moving there, or at least buying a second property there as an investment of some kind, maybe start a hostel there or some such.
I agree with you about your comments comparing Chile and Argentina. It's sad but unfortunately ARG is ruled by a gang of looters and exploiters and crooks of their own people. I cannot change that but the current situation won't last much.
Apr 05th, 2013 - 02:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I have been in Torres del Paine two time since I like to do trecking and it quite a wonderfull place. I know plenty of people that visited Chile but I haven't the chance of visiting it neither for work nor for pleasure.
Trying to do bussines in Chile is much sensible than in ARG right now but I know nothing about tourism. Anyway this is not the topic of the note.
Have a nice day
My friends just returned from travelling throughout S.America for 6 months and the only trouble they encountered was in Argentina, Ushuaia to be precise. To be fair, apart from that one incident, they never had any other problems in Argentina
Apr 05th, 2013 - 02:26 pm - Link - Report abuse 09 John Troll the 3rd (#) @5 Perhaps the description is a little warped and over the top, but you do make a reasonable point.........
Apr 05th, 2013 - 02:30 pm - Link - Report abuse 0However all that is insignificant when seen alongside the fact that it could be much much worse, they could be Argentinian.
“To Be born Argentinina is to win the wooden spoon of life ..” to paraphrase the Greatest Briton of all time. :)
Happy Days.
@5 Well, we don't need YOU. YOU are obviously at the local level. So “foriegn” is spelled “foreign”. “biggot” is spelled “bigot”. And “manor” is properly rendered as “manner”. Seems to indicate your level of education/intelligence. Argie level. Now be a good “dog” and sod off.
Apr 05th, 2013 - 03:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@6 Or to argieland. With MORE unemployment, corruption at every level that isn't a “scandal” because “la presidente” gives weekly lessons, no triple-dip recessions because argieland never gets out of recession, no neo-nazi cells because argies ARE nazis. Don't have to be “neo”. Still old-style. No massive snow-drifts. Just massive floods. And poverty, hunger, utility theft. Murderous public “transport”. Street murder, street rape, street theft.
@21 You're a joke. Trying to get proper “people” to enter argieland so that they can be killed by the psychotic population. So you have a a “traditional white english rugby shirt”, but you still look and act like one of the local demented faggots. Respect you? You're an argie. Eat my shit!
@25 Wooden? Decomposing jelly, surely?
Conqueror !!!!...I was missing you...ha ha
Apr 05th, 2013 - 04:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 0As usual your definitive arguments are always unbeatable !.....you are a sort of Wiston Churchill or Abraham Lincoln..
I can't beilieve that you are always high !!!...stop abusing from dangerous substances. They have already burned your brain.
Love the small number of masked brown shirts that undertake these government planned protests against the uk, it's so 1930's Germany makes ya laugh
Apr 05th, 2013 - 05:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The obvious answer is to visit the Falkland Islands instead. It's a fabulous tourist destination and nobody gets harrassed. nobody gets mugged and nobody gets stabbed.
Apr 05th, 2013 - 08:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@5 windy;
Apr 05th, 2013 - 09:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I hear you, but don't get complacent.
I've been in Brasil for over 11 years , and had never had a single problem.
Until a few months ago when i got car-jacked/abducted.
Don't be too quick to berate the fco's advice.
@29
Apr 06th, 2013 - 08:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Exactly.
Argentina haven't seemed to work out that harrassing tourists over the Falklands in Argentinian ports is more (not less) likely to make the tourists visit the Falklands to spite them or visit somewhere else to spend their money.
If they want to stop people visiting the Falklands, all they have to do is use reverse psychology and make visiting Argentina more attractive than visiting the Falklands.
Pity for their economy that they can't work that simple solution out.
Aren't the Falkland islands the main reason for South Atlantic cruises? All that lovely scenery and abundant wildlife with the added bonus that the friendly locals also happen to speak English.
Apr 07th, 2013 - 10:18 am - Link - Report abuse 0My interest would therefore tend to focus on the Falklands rather than making myself understood to some gormless, loud mouth Argentine facist with a piece of wood in his hand.
31 Pete : That's a sensible suggestion . Argentina does not do sensible , they prefer to f*ck things up and then blame everyone else .
Apr 09th, 2013 - 10:46 am - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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