Late last Wednesday evening I received an anonymous message through a fake Facebook account purposefully written to instill the greatest amount of fear, uncertainty and emotional stress in me as possible.
It was full of lies, claiming I’m a sex tourist, I abuse minors, there’s proof, I’m going to jail and I will be shamed publicly as a result. Worse, it implied I’d be killed.
It ended with an ultimatum, I either shut down Medellín Living, the Facebook page, book and app within one week or face the consequences.
I immediately notified U.S. and Colombian authorities of what I felt were serious and specific threats against me. Below are the steps I took to protect myself.
I spoke with the American Citizen Services group, which handles emergencies involving U.S. citizens in Colombia.
They are aware of the situation and I now have a point of contact there.
At Fiscalía (Prosecutor’s office) near the Universidad de Antioquia, I filed a sworn statement about the defamation and harassment.
I provided them with copies of every message.
I delivered the protection order I received from the Fiscalía to my local police station.
The assisting officer brought a copy of the protection order signed by his commander to my home by 9 a.m. the next morning. I even ran into a friendly cop I know in the parking lot.
The police also told me about the free Cuadrante Amigo app (iPhone // Android).
Install it on your smartphone and open it if you find yourself in any danger. The app waits five seconds and then automatically sends a message to the nearest officer who can respond based on your GPS location.
Everyone visiting Medellín should get this app.
Gaula is a special police division responsible for handling cases involving kidnapping and extortion.
Gaula can be reached locally, at no cost, by dialling 165. Their offices are located in Guayabal, across the river from Ciudad del Río, at Carrera 51 #14-259.
I reported this third and most serious instance of harassment to Facebook and blocked the fake profile. I also made my Facebook profile private and am not accepting new friends.
This person has already contacted at least three of my friends through Facebook to spread lies and discredit me. If you receive such a message, please save it (either a screenshot or copy/paste), report the harassment to Facebook and block the account.
I began reaching out to trusted friends and family to make them aware of what I was experiencing.
Talking about the experience has helped me process why someone would make up terrible lies to try and force me out of business (hint: anti-Americanism).
Anyone who knows me, knows these statements against me are 100 percent bullshit.
I want to reassure readers I have nothing to hide. I’m a law-abiding citizen of the U.S. who also respects the laws of Colombia, and any country I visit.
Further, I try to live a peaceful life that’s respectful and understanding of others, regardless of race, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or background.
That said, I recognize by not taking a public stand against the rise of sex tourism in Medellín, I may be perceived as not caring, or worse, complicit in illegal or harmful behavior.
Medellín Living’s purpose is to present the city and Colombians in a positive light. While this is a difficult topic, I will not shy away from addressing it here.
No Al Turista Sexual (No to the Sex Tourist)
Earlier this month, I met with Pazamanos, the NGO behind the No Al Turista Sexual (No to the Sex Tourist) campaign, to learn more about the problem, their goals and how I can help.
This week, I’ll be dedicating a separate story to the campaign. Until then, please read this excellent article by Colombia Reports from last year.
Story Removed
In addition, I removed the review I wrote several years ago promoting Colombian Cupid (click here to see it’s no longer in Google’s results), a dating website for foreign men to meet Colombian women.
While I and several friends have met smart, wonderful women through it, and I do not consider it a sex tourism website, I do know it is used by sex mongers.
For this reason, I will no longer promote it on Medellín Living nor will it be included in the iPhone app or mentioned in the next version of my book.
At the end of the day, I believe it’s the sex tourists themselves, not any particular website or app, that are the problem, however, I am more than happy to make this concession.
According to a 2014 survey by the Pew Research Center, “73% of adult internet users have seen someone be harassed in some way online, and 40% have personally experienced it.”
Sadly, research shows young people and women bear the brunt of it, but as I’ve learned recently, it can happen to anyone, anywhere, for any reason.
Have you experienced harassment or intimidation running your business in Medellín, Colombia, or anywhere else for that matter? Share your experiences in the comments below.
Brad Hinkleman, Founder of Casacol SAS, shares with us his foreign buyer's guide to Medellín…
Medellin’s nightlife is a jungle of musical genres that can be overwhelming for the old-fashioned,…
Doing coffee tasting tours around the city and preparing Colombian coffee on your own is…
Mercado del Rio is the first food market in Colombia and one of the must-visit…
You've just landed in Medellin, and all you see around the city are tours and…
Taking a quiet afternoon sipping some coffee in Medellin can enhance your visit, so it’s…
This website uses cookies.
View Comments
Wow David. It is so odd to hear this happening. I had a similar incident through Facebook after visiting Phillipines. I did not live there so the threat was not so bad. This article was vet informative.
Sending positive energy your way! I think there are way more people (i.e. Americans, Europeans etc.) who come here respectfully to experience this beautiful country than not. However discrimination and harassment happens even to the best of us. The hazard of being a foreigner living abroad. And of course having Obama's henchman embarrass themselves by partying too hard in Cartagena a couple years ago didn't help. You have a great website, keep up the good work!
Thanks Erin. I agree this kind of thing can happen anywhere, and certainly in the U.S. (Gamergate being a recent and high profile example). The laws need to catch up with the times.
Stay strong David and don't lose any sleep over the Internet cowards. Your website is very intuitive and resourceful . Keep up the great work.
This wasn't followed up by anything demanding money?
No
David,
I'm sorry to hear about the harassment, I think you're doing the right thing by taking these threats seriously. Thanks for the info how to protect oneself. Only a coward makes threats behind fake Facebook accounts, sometimes the cowards are the most dangerous though. Thanks for the update; Medellin Buzz will continue supporting your blog.
I'm so sorry to hear this is happening to you. Stay strong. I'm here if you need anthing.
This is such horrible behaviour to have to deal with, but I'm glad you took all the right steps - and the Cuadrante Amigo app sounds like a great idea. Hope you're feeling better about the situation now, Dave!
I thought your article on CC was well written and informative and not in any way a promotion but a suggestion, In my opinion while I was there my friends were using Tinder and it was non stop and a much larger promoter then that dating website. I loved Medellin for all it has to offer and I am looking to return next month or so. Did you have a falling out with someone there? Breakup with a girl or friend? Sometimes these events online start with people closest to us........... Good Luck and stay safe....
All my support!! We stay together and we win. Of course the success of the page is the reason behind it. As Zuckemberg said: to have 500.000 friends you need to have some enemy! Stay strong
David stay positive, what you are doing by bringing information about how amazing and beautiful Medellin is, will only continue to help others understand it's true uniqueness. Thank you for all that you do.