BBC Trending: Passport bros

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 22 January 2025

⏱️ 19 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Dating in Medellín, Colombia is being promoted to foreign men on YouTube, TikTok and other social media platforms. Lots of the videos, in English and Spanish, contain misogynistic language and suggest that the local women are both accessible and easy. These videos are part of a wider trend of “passport bros” many of whom are American men, seeking life abroad in places marketed by content creators as being good for meeting women. In theory, adult men going to meet adult women is not a problem, but Medellin has a huge problem with sexual exploitation. It is often nicknamed by the press as ‘the world’s biggest brothel’. Since the pandemic the city has introduced curfews for underage girls in some neighbourhoods while NGOs work against the issue.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Yeah, so Medellin is an amazing city. It's seriously a beautiful, beautiful place. A lot of nomads go there.
0:14.5	We joke so much so that, like, everyone wants to come. There's a bunch of alien sightings there, too.
0:19.0	Like, it's one of the highest cities with the most UFO sightings, or like even the aliens love Medellin. Medellin is Colombia's second
0:24.9	largest city. It's often called the city of Eternal Spring for its year-round good climate.
0:30.3	Surrounded by the beautiful nature of the Andes Mountains and known for its innovation and
0:34.6	buzzing nightlife. It's become a popular destination for tourists and remote workers, or digital nomads,
0:41.2	who come to enjoy the city's affordable lifestyle and hedonistic party scene.
0:45.8	This is my second video, my friends.
0:47.7	Here we have amazing, beautiful Medellín.
0:53.1	Wow.
0:55.0	Search for Medellin on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube,
0:58.3	and you'll notice how popular the city has become with young men.
1:01.9	In fact, over the last few years,
1:04.0	nearly 60% of all tourists visiting the city are men below the age of 40.
1:09.3	On social media, one group of men are particular advocates for
1:12.3	Medellin being a great place for travellers to visit. They're known as the passport bros. It's a
1:17.4	broad movement, but there are some central themes. They are mostly young men from the United States
1:22.2	who say they are tired and unhappy with life in their own country, so they seek a better life for
1:26.9	themselves overseas,
1:28.5	working remotely, earning in dollars.
1:30.8	But, as you're about to hear,
1:32.7	a surge in young foreign men going to the city
	...

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