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There are several ways in which the business culture in Mexico is different from the US.  For example, the minimum salary in Mexico is 73 pesos (about US $4) per day, while in the US, it averages about $8 per hour, so an average American worker making minimum wage earns twice as much in one hour than a Mexican worker making minimum wage earns in a whole day.  

 

In specific cases, the business culture in Mexico depends on the company and it...

There are several ways in which the business culture in Mexico is different from the US.  For example, the minimum salary in Mexico is 73 pesos (about US $4) per day, while in the US, it averages about $8 per hour, so an average American worker making minimum wage earns twice as much in one hour than a Mexican worker making minimum wage earns in a whole day.  

 

In specific cases, the business culture in Mexico depends on the company and it depends on the area.  For example, it’s not the same business culture in Cancun compared to Merida or Campeche because they are different cities, even though each one is the capital of their state in the Yucatan Peninsula.  For example, both Merida and Cancun are cosmopolitan, friendly, and have open arms to receive investors. But the difference between Cancun and us in Merida is that Cancun is exclusively for tourists, while the business in Merida is based on commerce and services.  This makes Merida similar to Campeche in this regard, but Campeche has less than half the population of Merida, so Merida has a different culture.

 

In Mexico City, there are many factories and industries so it’s got a different culture.  The business culture also depends on the extent to which the drug dealers and other people scare the good people in other states. When this happens, the state of Yucatan receives a lot of people who they are running away from in their own state, from areas such as Guadalajara, Mexico City, Sinaloa, and Tamaulipas. So a lot of people come Merida every day because they are running from their state and they want to restart their lives in a new state with peace, in a quiet state. Merida is considered one of the quietest cities in the whole country, which is good news for us because, as a result, a lot of people come to invest to Merida in businesses and other things, including real estate because they have to buy a house for their families.  Consequently, Merida has a different culture because so many people come here from the other states.  

 

 My advice to clients from the US is to be aware of the tax system and the rules, which can be different for foreign people from US. Two weeks ago I was explaining to a couple that came to my office who were trying to form a corporation, so I explained the process.  The wife was annoyed because they had been working here without papers for 3 or 4 months doing construction and repairing houses but everything was in cash, which made it difficult for them to comply with the tax authorities.  When I explained that she had to have receipts, she said, “Well, that’s complicated because I was never told that you have to follow these rules.” That’s where we start to tell newcomers that in Mexico there’s a different culture, and you have to follow rules compared with the rules you usually use in your own country.  

 

(Pictured: Mexico City Santa Fe Distrrict.)

It is true that we have only one paved road in Belize, which some people have a hard time believing.

 

It is true that we have only one paved road in Belize, which some people have a hard time believing.

 

You do not need a second passport if you live or work abroad, but it may be advisable in the future, if you are traveling for safety reasons. Nowadays, I prefer traveling with a Panamanian passport as opposed to an American passport.

 

We have one and a half years to go before we can apply to be a Panamanian citizen and have dual citizenship. You need to be a Panamanian citizen before you can get a Panamanian passport. You have to be here for at least five...

You do not need a second passport if you live or work abroad, but it may be advisable in the future, if you are traveling for safety reasons. Nowadays, I prefer traveling with a Panamanian passport as opposed to an American passport.

 

We have one and a half years to go before we can apply to be a Panamanian citizen and have dual citizenship. You need to be a Panamanian citizen before you can get a Panamanian passport. You have to be here for at least five years, you have to pass some tests, and prove that you live here in Panama 99% of the time.

Yes, you can see beautiful flowers, plants, and trees in Panama and you will always see them. There are all kinds of plants and flowers in Panama that you can observe. Some people ask, “What’s the best season for flowering?” But really, there is always something blooming here, regardless of the time of year.

 

Boquete has a flower festival in January. El Valle de Anton has great, beautiful flowers. When you walk out the forest and go to the...

Yes, you can see beautiful flowers, plants, and trees in Panama and you will always see them. There are all kinds of plants and flowers in Panama that you can observe. Some people ask, “What’s the best season for flowering?” But really, there is always something blooming here, regardless of the time of year.

 

Boquete has a flower festival in January. El Valle de Anton has great, beautiful flowers. When you walk out the forest and go to the rivers and lakes, you will see all kinds of fabulous flowers and different shades of green, unique plants. It is great.

 

We have orchids, heliconia, and there are flowers that are part of the poinsettia family. There are wild ylang-ylang, from which they make perfume. We also have big white night-blooming flowers and the guaiacum tree, which every dry season blooms yellow. There are flame trees that have a bright red color. You will also see barrigon trees here, which are the big belly trees. Another is the espave tree, which is a very tall tree that the Indians used to make their dugout canoes out.  It was named espave because that was the short for the Spanish word esparaver, which means "to see," because the Spaniards would climb that tree to see where they were, when they were first out here exploring.

 

There are lots of different trees like the Panama tree, the guaiacum, which is in the oak family, teakwood – we have teakwood plantations, but they are not native to Panama. There are 40 different varieties of palms in Panama, including coconuts. There are also pine trees and bamboo, but they were all introduced.

 

There is also the cuipo tree. A cuipo is a very tall tree that doesn’t have any branches until the top, which is usually taller than the rest of the canopy. That is the tree that the harpy eagle, which is the largest eagle in the world and is found here in Panama, uses to nest in.

 

I am not an expert on this but my perception is that illegal drug trafficking is not a big problem in Portugal because Portugal doesn’t appear to be a major drug distribution network for drug smugglers. I do believe that there are some issues around drugs in some high schools and so this is something that they are trying to combat but it really isn’t a big issue in Portugal as a whole.

 

(Spanish and Portuguese trade routes in the 17th...

I am not an expert on this but my perception is that illegal drug trafficking is not a big problem in Portugal because Portugal doesn’t appear to be a major drug distribution network for drug smugglers. I do believe that there are some issues around drugs in some high schools and so this is something that they are trying to combat but it really isn’t a big issue in Portugal as a whole.

 

(Spanish and Portuguese trade routes in the 17th century, pictured.)