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However, those looking towards Guatemala are likely to see the headline breaking news which often focuses upon the relatively high crime rate and does not always give credence to the political movement which has been fighting to reduce crime rates for some time now.
Keeping yourself safe in Guatemala Guatemala City is the capital city of Guatemala and as such it tends to attract the vast majority of western workers and expats.
Like so many developing/developed countries the capital city contains areas of exceptional wealth contrasted by areas of exceptional depravation.
A recent study suggests that around 52% of the Guatemalan population were living below the poverty line and while the government has been attempting to increase exports from the country, to help grow the economy, there is still much work to be done.
Gated accommodation More and more expats in Guatemala are now looking towards gated accommodation which is effectively a compound which is secured by walls and gates and protected by security personnel.
Indeed developers in Guatemala are currently in the process of "creating a new city" outside of Guatemala City which will house some of the richest individuals in the country away from the crime ridden areas of the capital.
The new development will not only consist of a large number of expensive apartments but there will be parks, boutiques, a church, nightclubs, shops and restaurants which will allow those living in the "city" to remain within the security boundaries at all times.
While this is not the perfect existence by any means it is an option which many people will take until the crime rate across Guatemala and in particular in Guatemala City comes under control.
Even though many of the expats and wealthy individuals acquiring properties within this new gated city will be able to live the vast majority of their lives in a secure environment, they will need to leave the compound at some stage.
Safety advice for expats in Guatemala Due to the excessive depravation in some areas of Guatemala, muggings and murders are commonplace and indeed if you look at the rate of non-political murders per capita then Guatemala is up there with the likes of El Salvador, etc.
President Otto Pérez recently announced plans to focus more attention upon the rate of crime across Guatemala and in particular Guatemala City and create "heat maps" of criminal activity which can be used to better utilise funds and resources to hand.
Expats who have little or no knowledge of the region are advised to stay away from some of the most deprived areas of Guatemala where desperation and poverty have pushed many people towards criminal activity.
There are certain areas of the country which Guatemalan nationals would not visit even with their in-depth knowledge therefore expats do need to be very careful.
Impersonating local authority officials Over the years there have been a number of instances where criminal gangs have impersonated the likes of police officers in order to obtain documentation, stop individuals in the street and in many cases rob them of their possessions.
In the Western world, which is where many expats visiting Guatemala will come from, there is a respect towards those in official positions such as police officers therefore a lot of expats will stop and entertain these crime gangs masquerading as respected officials.
These are not the only individuals in authority which are often impersonated by criminal gangs across Guatemala and very often they do tend to concentrate upon tourists and expats.
If you are approached by an official in the city then you should immediately ask for confirmation of their identity and you should never willingly give up any documentation for no apparent reason.
Once you have stopped for an in depth chat with the impersonators they have "hooked you" and before you know where you are you could be in trouble.
Muggings It is advisable not to wear expensive jewellery and clothing in and around Guatemala especially in the evening when many of the criminal fraternity will appear.
Many of the criminal gangs have very strong links to drug cartels and they will manipulate any situation to their benefit even if physical harm or worse is the end result.
If you are approached by criminal gangs and there is little means of escape there is no point fighting, simply give up your possessions, maintain your health and as quickly as possible, get out of there! Drugs and gun crimes Drugs and gun crimes are commonplace across many areas of Guatemala City and very quickly you will begin to recognise the signs once you move there.
Many of these guns have been imported from the US and indeed criminal gangs across South, Central and North America seem to have a very strong line of communication between each other.
Drugs and gun crimes are not prevalent in all areas of the country and therefore again you need to ensure that you do not wander too far off the beaten track to an area of Guatemala City for example of which you have no knowledge.
In the event that you are the victim of a mugging, attack of some sort or worse, it is unlikely that many people will come to your aid because of the violent grip which these gangs have over of the local population.
Heed all of the advice given to you, research the "no-go areas" and keep your wits about you at all times.
Financial scams As in any deprived area of the world, financial scams are fairly commonplace in Guatemala City and across the country as a whole.
For many of the criminal gangs they see expats as easy prey because many of them have no idea how the system works with regards to property, savings, investments, etc.
Some expats seem to arrive in Guatemala with the intention of "making as much money as possible" and under the misapprehension that all financial systems and financial protection are similar across the world.
This is not the case! The expat community in Guatemala and especially Guatemala City is now of a sufficient size so that you should be able to obtain referrals from fellow expats living in the country.
Referrals are far better than picking individuals to act on your behalf on an ad hoc basis because you will know their history, you will know their reputation and hopefully you will know that they are reputable.
Picking a financial adviser at random is a potential recipe for disaster and should be avoided at all costs.
Travelling in Guatemala While for the vast majority of the time you may well be able to avoid travelling at night time there will be occasions when this is unavoidable.
Public transport in the country is often overcrowded, substandard and unless you know where you are going it can be fraught with danger.
Using private transport services, reputable and recommended by friends, will probably be expensive but when you bear in mind the potential dangers of using public transport this is a relatively small price to pay! The infrastructure in Guatemala certainly needs more investment, the public transport network is creaking and unfortunately there are risks aplenty for those who have no knowledge of the area.
Conclusion Crime is still rife in many areas of Guatemala and especially Guatemala City even though the government has undertaken a detailed review of crime patterns across the country.
This five-year review should help to identify hotspots and then allow the government to mobilise resources and funding to tackle individual problems in individual areas.
Crime gangs, muggings and even murders are still commonplace across some areas of the country and if you are an expat looking to move to Guatemala then you need to do your homework and be fully aware of the situation.
Progress has been made, progress is being made but this is relatively slow and with over 50% of the Guatemala population still below the poverty line and many on the verge of starvation, there is still a great deal of work to be done.
There is potential in the country, exports have increased of late but ultimately until the spread of wealth is more balanced and more even there will always be friction between those who have money and those who do not.
If you're an expat looking to move to the country, do your homework, choose your destination carefully and above all abide by the many basic rules which dominate the day-to-day lives of expats in Guatemala.
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