Gringos, Sex, and Murder in Nicaragua

Nicaragua, it has been said, is the next Costa Rica. It’s a dubious forecast. One indication of its veracity is the sharp rise in sexual tourism in Nicaragua over the past decade. It is so brazen that in some popular beach towns, it’s difficult to distinguish sex tourism from dating. There, middle-aged American men dangle Nicaraguan women half their age from their arms as they walk down the street. Such sights have caused palpable tension between the Nicaraguan people and the American tourists and retirees living in seaside mansions.

NYT on “south to south” migration

Nicaraguans build Costa Rican buildings. Paraguayans pick Argentine crops. Nepalis dig Indian mines. Indonesians clean Malaysian homes. Farm hands from Burkina Faso tend the fields in Ivory Coast. Some save for more expensive journeys north, while others find the move from one poor land to another all they will ever afford. With rich countries tightening their borders, migration within the developing world is likely to grow. Read full article here.