Does the US Embassy pay Colombia citizens less the US citizens for the same job?

msaucey says on Aug 8, 2007, 15:56:

Ummm.... I think we've already had a thread on the unbalanced wages paid at the embassy about 2 weeks ago.... But, yes, these are accurate.... So, if you live in Colombia, are a U.S. Citizen and still have a Colombian work permit... Then you can work at the Embassy for $32K a year... If you are a Colombian citizen, you can get the same job at the discounted priced of $14K a year....

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

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Brian858 says on Aug 8, 2007, 17:52:

They must have an employee moral problem there then!

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john_stark says on Aug 8, 2007, 18:14:

The fact of the matter is other than the positions mandated by law to be filled by US citizens ALL of the jobs at the embassy are filled by Colombians. So even if you are a US citizen residing in Colombia and you try to get a job at the embassy you won't get it. They discriminate against US citizens pure and simple.

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Brian858 says on Aug 8, 2007, 18:20:

msaucey - Can you post a link to the thread you speak of ? I'm not finding it.

John stark- Do you have evidence that they discriminate? What percentage of the jobs are mandated by law to be filled with US citizens?

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john_stark says on Aug 8, 2007, 18:23:

The consular level jobs have to be filled by US citizens - the people who actually interview applicants and make visa decisions. Everyone else is a Colombian.

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Brian858 says on Aug 8, 2007, 19:18:

john stark - I don't the the Foreign Service Information Management Technical Specialist positions are filled by Colombian citizens and they don't interview applicants.

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Leeroy says on Aug 8, 2007, 21:55:

"When Colombia rises up and starts kicking butt, then they will stop exploiting Colombians.
I and many Colombians have started a petition to toughen U.S. citizens visiting and living in Colombia,t o pay more taxes and require a tourist visa, first with a criminal back ground check.
Also a mandatory $ 10,000 for a marriage to a Colombian national...If you would like to sign on, to this petition ,you can go to the Colombia internet site ,and contact the P.M of Colombia via email.

This is more than fare, as far too long ,the U.S. based companies in Colombia have exploited and profited at Colombian expense.."

This comment is fascinating, and is worthy of its own thread.

I will begin, well, at the beginning:

"I and many Colombians have started a petition to toughen U.S. citizens visiting and living in Colombia,t o pay more taxes and require a tourist visa"

So, more or less, you want to make it more difficult for tourists from the US to enter Colombia, and for the ones who are already here to pay more taxes.

I am objective here (not being from the US).

This means less revenue from tourism, and more indirectly, less investment from the USA. A biazrre objective, from whichever way you look at it. It suggests "We don't need the USA and its money!" when the economic truth is that, actually, Colombia does.

"first with a criminal back ground check."

What is the implication here? That Americans with criminal records shouldn't be allowed in? Or, perhaps, that the majority of American expats/visitors are indeed ex-cons, and so should be deterred accordingly?

This is less a "requirement" and more an "implicit insult/statement of superiority" - it implies "We here in Colombia are so damned special that we should choose very carefully who we let in, well, we wouldn't want to spoil our utopia now, would we?" Very few select countries in the world can authentically claim that. Colombia cannot. This statement is based less on pragmatism and more on thinly-veiled xenophobia

So, $10,000 mandatory "fee" for marrying a Colombian national.

Is this to deter foreigners from marrying Colombians (thus polluting the gene pool, I suppose), or is it a way of raising capital? If so, it is not an effective one - Colombia would probably not raise $1m in one year this way. So, it is to discourage foreigners from marrying Colombians then. Why would someone petition their government for that?

"This is more than fare, as far too long ,the U.S. based companies in Colombia have exploited and profited at Colombian expense.."

Forgiving "fare" and "Colombian expense" for the time being, the conclusion seems to be that "We should discourage foreign tourism and investment, and install xenophobic/racist marriage laws, in order to punish the gringos..."

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durito says on Aug 8, 2007, 22:14:

"When Colombia rises up and starts kicking butt, then they will stop exploiting Colombians.
I and many Colombians have started a petition to toughen U.S. citizens visiting and living in Colombia,t o pay more taxes and require a tourist visa, first with a criminal back ground check.
Also a mandatory $ 10,000 for a marriage to a Colombian national...If you would like to sign on, to this petition ,you can go to the Colombia internet site ,and contact the P.M of Colombia via email.

This is more than fare, as far too long ,the U.S. based companies in Colombia have exploited and profited at Colombian expense.."


As a US born citizen I find this type of attitude very interesting. Personally, I hate what the US gov't has done not only in Colombia, but all of latin american and the world for the last 100 years. I hate it that multinational companies run the world now and exploit the people. I don't hold any sort of allegiance to my country, just because I happened to be born there. I've chosen to move to Colombia because I prefer to live here.

Making policy that penalizes US citizens for their gov't's actions is rather childish if you ask me. It doesn't do anything to hurt the large companies or the US gov't. In fact it sounds so ridiculous that it reminds me of policies made by the US gov't. Perhaps you should go be a US politician.

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Robert Jorge says on Aug 8, 2007, 22:42:

The only large US company that I saw that had a significant presence in Villavicencio - the only city I can really comment on, was Coca Cola. I lived literally next door to the Coke bottler there. I never saw a gringo there. I saw hundreds of Colombians working, driving in, driving out, etc; but not one obvious US citizen. I guess the US conspired to put a soft drink plant in that city, owned by a US company, and thus is exploiting all the Colombian workers that make a living from working there. Take away the Coca Cola in Villavo, hundreds of people would be out of work, the city and department and country would lose tax revenue, and there would be a lot of pissed off Llaneros because they wouldn't have their favorite mixer for their Ron Caldas. If it makes you feel better, the Postobon plant up the street is even bigger, and I think it is a Colombian company. Oh ya, and Postobon owns and operates a bottling plant in Miami, EEUU.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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Robert Jorge says on Aug 8, 2007, 23:07:

I didn't give accurate information. The Postobon bottler is in Brooklyn, NY. Bottled under the authority of Gaseosas Posada Tobon, S.A.

I did and have looked at the parking lot. Your right, the VAST majority of workers there get to work on motos and bicycles ... and by collective (bus). So what? Are you suggesting that US companies pay workers in foreign countries exactly what the equivalent US worker gets paid? That would be all well and good. But when milk starts costing 10 mil a gallon in Villavo, and the average household pays 6 milliones a year in property tax, and a lb. of ground beef costs 8 mil, I'll agree with you.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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Robert Jorge says on Aug 8, 2007, 23:10:

And the Postobon color I associate with Postobon is pink. I just asked my wife, without prompting her, and she said "rosada".

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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Robert Jorge says on Aug 8, 2007, 23:12:

And, by the way, a 2.5 litre of Coke in Villavo is 3.2 mil. A 2.5 litre of Postobon is ... 3.2 mil.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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Robert Jorge says on Aug 8, 2007, 23:20:

Codazzi, all due respect ... but why do you live in the US if we are so bad? You even hate on the colors of our flag. I noticed you live in Coconut Grove. Could you survive paying your apartment rent, house payment, insurance, etc, etc. in Coconut Grove on a Colombian worker's salary? Of course not. That is why US workers get paid more. I make enough to barely keep my head above water. As a matter of fact, I am in a negative cash flow situation. But, my salary would let me live extremely well in Villavo. I sure wish I could afford to live south of downtown Miami, in the Grove.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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Conchale Vale!! says on Aug 9, 2007, 00:56:

I disagree completely about us companies exploiting workers in Colombia. My coworkers and engineers at entry level are starting a about 5 million per month..out of college. Mid level guys are up around 10 million. A whole bunch more holidays that we will ever have in the US. I would trade my current position with anyone of them at any moment if they want to take over my salary, my tax burden both income and property taxes and the amount of hours I have put in to get where I am at. most of them don't want to come here because they have seen how hard you have to work to get ahead versus what they have. Comparing wage rates between the Colombia andthe USA is like apples and oranges. While there are some US companies that do not have good pay scales in Colombia there are others that have helped drive local employers to pay more to compete. better look at Colombian companies that don't pay crap, treat employees like garbage.

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Robert Jorge says on Aug 9, 2007, 01:08:

Conchale, thankyou.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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miamimike says on Aug 9, 2007, 01:43:

"When Colombia rises up and starts kicking butt, then they will stop exploiting Colombians.
I and many Colombians have started a petition to toughen U.S. citizens visiting and living in Colombia,t o pay more taxes and require a tourist visa, first with a criminal back ground check.
Also a mandatory $ 10,000 for a marriage to a Colombian national...If you would like to sign on, to this petition ,you can go to the Colombia internet site ,and contact the P.M of Colombia via email.
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Talk about a way to discourage potential Retirree Expats from the USA ; any one of these conditions for many Expats would be a DealBreaker! Why? Several Countries, in hopes of attracting US and Canadian Retirees in Latin America, offer Pensionado Visas with Tangible Benefits(unlike Colombia) AND with much lower qualifying income limits. $10,000 Penalty to marry a Colombian???? I don't think so! Ask any of the 70,000 North Americans retired in Guadalajara Mexico, largest N.American Expat community worldwide, what they think of these requirements. Halfway thru reading the list, my bet is they toss the page and walk! One could simply go next door in several directions and not be encumbered with these restrictions. Look at Next Door Venezuela where many Colombian RESIDENTS already go to do business with a 2000 (approx) Official Bolivar exchange and an UNOFFICIAL Exchange Rate of 3500-4200 Bolivar to USD rate!!! Most NorthAmericans look for the Deals above all and the Exchange rate and proximity to the USA is paramount.

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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Tinto (Moderator) says on Aug 9, 2007, 05:53:

Coca-Cola in Colombia is majority owned by the Coca-Cola bottling group of Mexico. It used to be owned by a Miamia-based company (Panamco) but Panamco was sold to Coca-Cola Mexico/FEMSA in December of 2004.

Blame the Colombians and the Mexicans if you don't like Coca-Cola's practices in Colombia.

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Tinto (Moderator) says on Aug 9, 2007, 06:27:

(now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure it was December 2002, not 2004). I don't know why they sold, all that matters to me is that I bought Panamco shares for $10 in late December, I got on a plane for Colombia, opened up the New York Times for the first time in a couple of days (it was near Christmas) and learned that they had been bought out for $20 a share. Great trade - doubled my money in less than a week and learned about it in the old fashioned newspaper.

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msaucey says on Aug 9, 2007, 16:17:

Codazzi... You have some serious misinterpretations of what would be best for Colombia as a country... I sure hope nobody is truly taking that petition you have seriously, if they are then they too have a horrible misconception.... You must be one of those, that has a narrow minded mentallity that everyone in the U.S. has the type of extra money to just throw around... $10K, here... $10K there... It's absolutely ridiculous... I plan to retire in Colombia, but it's because of the quality of life I'd be able to afford... If I retire in the states, I will live in a mobile home eating cat food... Why don't you give us the link to this petition, I'd really like to reach out and express myself in a different venue and see what it is that's going on, or if this is all some type of rage you have against the U.S....

Brian858, here's the other link....
http://poorbuthappy.com/colombia/post/jobs-for-americans-in-colombia/

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

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Brian858 says on Aug 9, 2007, 16:46:

Thanks msaucey.....The thread got really off topic there for awhile :)

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brad216 says on Aug 9, 2007, 17:06:

Codazzi.
you make me laugh. the more i read your comments, the more i think you love getting a rise out of everyone here. Thanks for the entertainment.

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Lowell says on Aug 9, 2007, 17:08:

you got that right, I'm still waiting (1 yr) for my daughter to get her SSN. Cold worthless jerks!

Alfred E. Newman. "What. Me Worry?"

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Gaijin says on Aug 15, 2007, 15:57:

About the whole coke / pepsi / postobon stuff...in the colombia they dont export these products? they get it straight from the manufacturer in the states. So they are paying the minimal wage...so what so is every single colombian company. Yeah its true maybe coke and pepsi should pay more for the fact that they are billion dollar companies but like most people that come to colombia from other countries think " hey if the colombians do it in colombia why can't we!"

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