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 clver scammer.
I was speaking to a Baptist pastor recently and he shed some light on the matter of why Chileans are generally so dishonest. One reason has to do with the leftover influence of Roman Catholic religion, he says. For Catholics, sins are divided into two categories: mortal and veneal, the later being "not so bad." Apparently, much lying falls under that category and thus the sin gets practiced in Chile. I think the Baptist pastor might be on to something.
Consider that Chilean liars and cheats are polished; oftentimes so nice and seemingly well-intentioned, even if they are disorderly. Eight dignified, well-spoken and nice men and women have ripped me (and others) off in Chile. To be fair, one was from Costa Rica, and my wife assures me that all Latin American countries are replete with liars and cheaters. (She trusts no one, period.) They are at times just out and out con-men. Other times they are just bumblers trying to get their hands on some capital to try some doomed-to-fail-due-to-incompetence project, that end up lying and being dishonest to try to rectify the consequences of poor decisions.
In my experience, dishonest Chileans have come in several varieties: the farmer, the realtor, the university department head, the new car sales manager, the private loan officer, the property development expert, the venture capital liaison and the building subcontractor. Some just milk you for what they can and then vanish without a word. Others make up excuses for why they lost your money or why they were actually "owed" what you gave them for "work" that produced nothing. Others will assure you that a non notarized contract is all that is necessary since they are a man of their word, at least until they screw you (paying you little or nothing) and they are the first to note that the contract you signed with them is not binding. Still others will take off with your foreign credit card and spend US$4,000 over the weekend on food, clothing, gymn memberships, gold and jewelry. This is possible since in Chile no PIN numbers are required on foreign cards, just a signature, and clerks never check card names or match signatures. Some folks will run away with the crops or goods, without a trace, and make it look like they are innocent. They are all dishonesty experts. They know how to game American, Canadians, Australians and Européans. They will seek you out and they will at some point beat you. Be ready for them if you can!
Why can they do it so easily, even to those of us that have been here for 20+ years? Because we are raised to be honest and trusting people. We learn to look out for criminals, but when the Chilean scum come across so smooth and friendly, establishing a relationship for many months, we let our guard down and open up to them, trusting them. At that point they let us have it! The payoff justifies the cost of holding up the charade and waiting for months for the prey to be unaware of falling victim. Sometimes the dishonesty leads to outright theft. At other times, we lose when the Chilean fails to perform or follow through, or make good on his promise. The end result is still the same: we lose and the "scum" (as my wife calls them, scoria), wins.
I do know many fine, honest Chileans, and my son reminded me that he, too, knows many good Chileans. They are businessmen, doctors, lawyers, professors and even a few construction workers. But the truth of the matter is that more than 90% of Chileans are liars and cheaters, and most of the remaining 10% could probably be persuaded to be such if the circumstances were right. After all, dishonesty is probably just a "veneal" sin, unlike murder and adultery. (Speaking of cheating on one's spouse, Chileans are pretty good at that craft, too, even though it is a mortal sin. I guess even the religious imeptus has limited explanatory power.) In terms of calling hte police or relying on the justice system, it is almost not worth bothering. Criminals are hardly punished for contract breach or crimes related to dishonesty..Dishonest people in Chile also seem to care less that you will never do business again with them once they burn you. They prefer to go with the bird in the hand than risk getting uncertain future gains from you. Reputation has no bearing either, since being a liar or cheat in Chile is hardly an impediment to future work. It may even make one more contacts and better pay, as one boasts about his successes in taking advantage of others.
At any rate, it is probably best to consider that being taken advantage of by a Chilean is not a matter of "if" but rather of "when" for any newcomer to the country. The land is full of dishonest people, from the President and Congressmen to businessmen to day laborers. You will not be safe from them and they will hunt for you. It is a bleak reality. The best you can do is try to minimize the impact of loss from deals and arrangements that your make as an employee, employer or consumer. Do not rush to get too close to Chileans and do not trust them with money matters for several years. Be prepared to start thinking differently even before you get to Chile. The country is great overall, but there are some things like dishonesty, that will drive you crazy for years to come.
I was speaking to a Baptist pastor recently and he shed some light on the matter of why Chileans are generally so dishonest. One reason has to do with the leftover influence of Roman Catholic religion, he says. For Catholics, sins are divided into two categories: mortal and veneal, the later being "not so bad." Apparently, much lying falls under that category and thus the sin gets practiced in Chile. I think the Baptist pastor might be on to something.
In my experience, dishonest Chileans have come in several varieties: the farmer, the realtor, the university department head, the new car sales manager, the private loan officer, the property development expert, the venture capital liaison and the building subcontractor. Some just milk you for what they can and then vanish without a word. Others make up excuses for why they lost your money or why they were actually "owed" what you gave them for "work" that produced nothing. Others will assure you that a non notarized contract is all that is necessary since they are a man of their word, at least until they screw you (paying you little or nothing) and they are the first to note that the contract you signed with them is not binding. Still others will take off with your foreign credit card and spend US$4,000 over the weekend on food, clothing, gymn memberships, gold and jewelry. This is possible since in Chile no PIN numbers are required on foreign cards, just a signature, and clerks never check card names or match signatures. Some folks will run away with the crops or goods, without a trace, and make it look like they are innocent. They are all dishonesty experts. They know how to game American, Canadians, Australians and Européans. They will seek you out and they will at some point beat you. Be ready for them if you can!
Why can they do it so easily, even to those of us that have been here for 20+ years? Because we are raised to be honest and trusting people. We learn to look out for criminals, but when the Chilean scum come across so smooth and friendly, establishing a relationship for many months, we let our guard down and open up to them, trusting them. At that point they let us have it! The payoff justifies the cost of holding up the charade and waiting for months for the prey to be unaware of falling victim. Sometimes the dishonesty leads to outright theft. At other times, we lose when the Chilean fails to perform or follow through, or make good on his promise. The end result is still the same: we lose and the "scum" (as my wife calls them, scoria), wins.
I do know many fine, honest Chileans, and my son reminded me that he, too, knows many good Chileans. They are businessmen, doctors, lawyers, professors and even a few construction workers. But the truth of the matter is that more than 90% of Chileans are liars and cheaters, and most of the remaining 10% could probably be persuaded to be such if the circumstances were right. After all, dishonesty is probably just a "veneal" sin, unlike murder and adultery. (Speaking of cheating on one's spouse, Chileans are pretty good at that craft, too, even though it is a mortal sin. I guess even the religious imeptus has limited explanatory power.) In terms of calling hte police or relying on the justice system, it is almost not worth bothering. Criminals are hardly punished for contract breach or crimes related to dishonesty..Dishonest people in Chile also seem to care less that you will never do business again with them once they burn you. They prefer to go with the bird in the hand than risk getting uncertain future gains from you. Reputation has no bearing either, since being a liar or cheat in Chile is hardly an impediment to future work. It may even make one more contacts and better pay, as one boasts about his successes in taking advantage of others.
At any rate, it is probably best to consider that being taken advantage of by a Chilean is not a matter of "if" but rather of "when" for any newcomer to the country. The land is full of dishonest people, from the President and Congressmen to businessmen to day laborers. You will not be safe from them and they will hunt for you. It is a bleak reality. The best you can do is try to minimize the impact of loss from deals and arrangements that your make as an employee, employer or consumer. Do not rush to get too close to Chileans and do not trust them with money matters for several years. Be prepared to start thinking differently even before you get to Chile. The country is great overall, but there are some things like dishonesty, that will drive you crazy for years to come.
Be sure to become a member of Escape America Now and gain access to the monthly webinar. Details at www.esccapeamerianow.info. Visit AllAboutChile.com for discussion and forums about the country.
Dr. Cobin’s book, Life in Chile: A Former American’s Guide for Newcomers, is the most comprehensive treatise on Chilean life ever written, designed to help newcomers get settled in Chile. He covers almost every topic imaginable for immigrants. This knowledge is applied in his valet consulting service–Chile Consulting–where he guides expatriates through the process of finding a place to live and settle in Chile, helping them glide over the speed bumps that they
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Dr. Cobin’s sequel book, Expatriates to Chile: Topics for Living, adds even further depth on important topics to expatriates who either live in Chile already or who have Chile on the short list of countries where they hope to immigrate. The book deals with crucial issues pertaining to urban and rural real estate transactions, natural disasters, issues pertaining to emigration and its urgency, money and the quality of life, medical care and insurance, business opportunities, social manifestations (including welfare state and divorce policy concerns), Chile in the freedom indices, social maladies (lying, cheating, stealing and murder), as well as discussion of a few places worth visiting and some further comments about Santiago.
Dr. Cobin’s next sequel, Living in Chile: Key Details of History, Culture, Politics and Places for the Serious Immigrant, goes into detail that mainly those people living in Chile already or serious immigrants will be interested in. It is also of special importance to libertarians that want to know something about the political and ideological undercurrents, past highlights (like having a free port much like Hong Kong or free banking), and people that want practical information and where they can retire on their budget. The travel section compliments the other books in the series so that those that read all three books can be sure to have covered the key places of the country from top to bottom.
This book is chock full of savory details that only a true immigrant and former American with many years of experience would know. Some things are only learned over long periods of time and observation. Take advantage of tapping into Dr. Cobin’s deep knowledge of the country and insights of importance to serious immigrants.
For a brief introduction consider Dr. Cobin’s abridged book (56 pages): Chile: A Primer for Expats ($19), offering highlights found in the two larger books.
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