For a time, Ecuador was one of South America’s most attractive expat destinations; low cost of living, a great climate, a dollarized economy and straightforward residency pathways.

….then crime exploded, and Ecuador stopped feeling like a country with expat upside…

Until Daniel Noboa stepped in.

In today’s episode, I break down one of the most important political shifts happening in Latin America right now: Ecuador under President Daniel Noboa. The country is not “fixed,” but the trajectory appears to be shifting… and for investors, expats, and serious Plan-B thinkers, trajectory is what matters most.

Enjoy today’s episode!

IN TODAY’S EPISODE

• Tune in to learn why Noboa’s “internal armed conflict” declaration changed the trajectory of Ecuador’s security crisis… and how his approach compares with Bukele’s El Salvador model.
• Is 38 too young to run a country? Hear my take on Ecuador having a President who’s so young (even younger than me, believe it or not!)
• Find out why China remains economically relevant – and what that means for energy, infrastructure, and fiscal recovery inside the country
• Could Ecuador realistically re-emerge as a serious expat destination? Hear my thoughts on what needs to happen first. 

STAY IN TOUCH!

Stay informed about the latest news affecting the expat world and receive a steady stream of my thoughts and opinions on geopolitics by subscribing to our newsletter. You will receive the EMS Pulse® newsletter and the weekly Expat Sunday Times; sign up now and receive my FREE special report, “Plan-B Residencies and Instant Citizenships.”

RELATED EPISODES

394: Panama City’s Crypto-Friendly Mayor: The Mayer Mizrachi Story

384: Panama’s Adult in the Room: President José Raúl Mulino

365: The Bukele Effect: Inside El Salvador’s Radical Transformation

The post 398: Ecuador: Can One Man Lead A Nation Into A New Era? appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.

What happens when you combine 20+ years of boots-on-the-ground experience, a country full of misunderstood opportunity, and a group of freedom-minded investors? You get the Colombia Expat Exploration and Investment Tour, where this November I’ll be guiding a group of 25+ freedom-seekers like yourself through this underrated and often misunderstood country. 

In today’s episode, I reveal exactly why Colombia might be the most undervalued gem in Latin America today. From exploring residency to viewing off-market deals in-person, this isn’t some guided sightseeing trip—it’s your fast track to making bold moves in a country that rewards the brave. Get the full breakdown of the upcoming 7-day experience and hear from the Colombian insiders helping make it all happen.

IN TODAY’S EPISODE:

• Tune in to learn why Medellín is beating Bogotá as the expat capital of Colombia—and what most outsiders get dead wrong about it
• Listen in and hear how a remote region of Colombia became ground zero for one of the most ambitious land plays in our community’s history
• Get the inside scoop on how an innovative, private community-backed project is now opening its doors for the first time
• Find out how Colombia’s “bad reputation” might be the best news possible for early investors

JOIN US IN COLOMBIA THIS NOVEMBER

Join me and the Expat Money community in Colombia, from November 30 to December 6, 2025, for our Colombia Expat Exploration and Investment Tour. This is a 7-day guided tour to explore the opportunities in the country and build your offshore Plan-B. Spots are limited. Learn more: ExpatMoney.com/Colombia

STAY IN TOUCH!

Stay informed about the latest news affecting the expat world and receive a steady stream of my thoughts and opinions on geopolitics by subscribing to our newsletter. You will receive the EMS Pulse newsletter and the weekly Expat Sunday Times; sign up now and receive my FREE special report, “Plan B Residencies and Instant Citizenships.”

THE EXPAT MONEY ONLINE SUMMIT 2025: THE FUTURE IS LATIN AMERICA

Join the Expat Money Online Summit 2025 for three high-impact days focused on why Latin America is becoming the ultimate destination for expats, investors, and freedom-seekers in 2025 and beyond.

You’ll gain exclusive insights from dozens of seasoned offshore experts as they reveal the best strategies to legally slash your tax bill, build real wealth overseas, and unlock second residencies and passports—all centred around Latin America’s rising power on the global stage.

Reserve your free ticket today.

RELATED EPISODES

353: Latin America Is The Future: Announcing The Summit 2025

339: The Case For Latin America: Why Expats Are Moving South – Andrea Martinez

164 – Medical Tourism In Colombia

The post 370: Colombia: Where “Bad Reputation” Hides Massive Opportunity appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.

Johnny HODL is a freedom advocate, podcast host, and digital nomad originally from the United Kingdom.

In 2021 he decided to permanently leave the UK after becoming disenfranchised by that government’s authoritarian covid policies. He now lives on the sunny Mexican Pacific coast, where he continues to work remotely in the Bitcoin industry.

TODAY’S CONVERSATION WITH JOHNNY HODL

• Listen to Johnny describe the evolution of his political views and how adopting Bitcoin in 2016 led him to a more freedom-oriented philosophy.
• Johnny explains what was the exodus point that prompted him to permanently leave his home country of the United Kingdom.
• Hear Johnny and I discuss the hubris displayed by many in the West supporting lockdowns while many of those in the developing world didn’t have the convenience of “just staying home.”
• We examine why the “soft admission” of guilt over the COVID narrative isn’t enough of a recanting from those supporting it.
• Johnny and I talk about the lack of ethics in the COVID policies implemented and why even if all the data were correct, it would still be a major ethical violation to enforce lockdowns, vaccine mandates, etc.
• Listen to Johnny describe how, once you take the “red pill” regarding the nature of government, it’s hard not to see government at every level as a monopoly on violence.
• I drive home the notion that after 23 years of travelling the world and visiting over 100 countries, voting with your feet, i.e. being an expat and utilizing offshore markets, is absolutely hands down the best solution I have ever found. 
• We discuss how governments around the globe are starting to close their doors in various ways – including the looming threat of CBDCs.
• Johnny provides his view of what “sovereignty” is and how others can reclaim more of their sovereignty as he has by seeking out more freedom abroad.
• Johnny and I both reflect on how, once taking personal responsibility for every single aspect of your life and respect natural law, life simply gets better.
• We have an interesting back-and-forth on the correlation between wealth and happiness. Does the ethics by which the wealth is acquired affect the happiness of those who hold it? I’d love to hear my listener’s thoughts on this!

RELATED EPISODES

237: What’s It Like Relocating to Mexico When the World Doesn’t Make Sense – Jonathan Lockwood

186: Fighting Back Against The Technocrats – Hrvoje Moric

102: Bitcoin For International Privacy, Protection And Control – Eryka Gemma

HOW TO FIND JOHNNY HODL’s WORK:

The Stayin’ Free Podcast 

Johnny HODL on Twitter

CONCLUSION

I really enjoyed this conversation with Johnny HODL today, and I’m sure long-time listeners will understand exactly why I see him as a kindred spirit of sorts.

While my focus is on the actions you can take to achieve more freedom as an expat, the ethics behind those actions are vitally important, and it was great to hear about Johnny’s evolution on the subject and how he has now come to see individual sovereignty as an ethical ideal. You’re gonna love this one.

See you all next Wednesday on the podcast!

The post 245: Fleeing The UK Lockdowns To Become A Sovereign Individual – Johnny HODL appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.

John Perkins is the author of the legendary book Confessions of an Economic Hitman, which first appeared on the show in Episode 71.

He has now published an updated version of the book titled Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, 3rd Edition – China’s EHM Strategy; Ways to Stop the Global Takeover, featuring 12 new chapters breaking down how China has essentially become the world’s “economic hitman.”

Longtime listeners will surely recognize that John and I share some differing world views, and I certainly do not endorse his beliefs on things like white supremacy, climate change, vegetarianism and feminism, to name a few. Nonetheless, his experience and insights are incredibly valuable, and you will certainly learn a ton from this conversation. 

TODAY’S CONVERSATION WITH JOHN PERKINS:

• Listen in to hear John explain in detail what an “Economic Hitman” – or “EHM” strategy is from his own personal experience implementing it on behalf of first-world nations and banking elites and how he came to understand the dark side of what he was doing. 
• John details the predatory nature of the EHM strategy and the devastating effects it has had on third-world nations. You won’t believe the shocking statistics about the average age in Africa.  
• Hear John reveal the nefarious methods the EHM strategists use to manipulate statistics like GDP to display positive effects on the economy while the underlying reality paints a much bleaker picture for the citizens of the nations targeted by it.
• Then we discuss  the difference between honest entrepreneurship – the kind that I practice in my business – and “cronyism” or “predatory capitalism.”
• John explains how China has shifted its own economic hitman strategy under President Xi Jinping over the last ten years and their nefarious motivations for doing so. 
• We dig into what John describes as the “death economy” – as the EHM competition between the leaders of China and the United States wreaks economic havoc across the globe.
• John and I further discuss current global political issues and the different levels of attention conflicts in Ukraine and Yemen receive from the media and the general public.
• John drives home how many individuals have embraced changes in the last three years and the need to change our perception of our current socio-economic and governmental systems.
• We discuss the very different perceptions of “success” in Latin America and how things like spending time with family and friends often take higher priority than the gain of material goods in that region. 
• Lastly, we discuss China’s increasingly interwoven relationship with Latin America and the impacts, both positive and negative, on the region.

RELATED EPISODES

145: Building A NonProfit In The Slums Of Uganda – Jennings Wright

071: John Perkins – Confessions of an Economic Hitman – Yesterday and Today!

036: Jim Rogers – North Korea, China, Mandarin And The Current State Of Education

HOW TO REACH JOHN PERKINS

https://johnperkins.org

CONCLUSION

I hope you enjoyed my conversation with John Perkins as much as I did. While we have very different worldviews, and I certainly don’t endorse all of his beliefs, John is an absolute hero for the work he has done exposing the nature of our corrupt global systems of banking and government.

When it comes to the nature of our global systems, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better expert than John Perkins. I know you’ll get great value from this conversation!

The post 238: Inside the Dragon’s Strategy: John Perkins on China’s Global Impact appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.

Jonathan Lockwood is a pro voice over talent originally from Detroit and currently living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. He now spends his spare time venturing deep into the Mexican countryside and finding amazing artisanal mezcal. 

I enjoyed getting to know Jonathan and you are going to learn a ton from this conversation.

TODAY’S CONVERSATION WITH JONATHAN:

• Listen in to hear Jon share the story of how he grew up in an apocalyptic religious cult and how he “woke up” from the brainwashing, which helped him to see that things are not always as they seem.
• Jon describes how foreseeing the forthcoming fiscal nightmare in the United States led him to explore other options outside of his home country.
• Hear Jon describe the striking similarities with how politics created divisiveness in families over the last several years to his own experience rejecting the beliefs his family had raised him to hold. 
• We dig into our shared belief that it’s important not to condemn others for being behind where you are at any given moment in life. 
• Then we discuss how Jon wound up choosing San Miguel de Allende, Mexico as his home, where he now lives with his wife and their daughter. 
• Learn what Jon views as the surprising advantage of living in a country with an extremely inefficient government. 
• Jon relays a hilarious experience he had when he first attempted to speak Spanish upon arriving in Mexico – he had me stitches!
• We discuss the concept of “stacking freedom” as opposed to trying to find a “Shangri-La”, and how not to become paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong decision.
• Jon goes into detail describing the “melting pot” city of San Miguel de Allende, and how the locals have responded to the always-growing expat community there. You’ll be wanting to book your trip to San Miguel after hearing this!
• Then we discuss how Jonathan developed a passion for artisanal Mezcal that he sources from “the Disneyland of Mezcal” in Oaxaca, Mexico. I learned so much about Mezcal that I never knew before!

RELATED EPISODES

234: I Wrote a New Book on Moving to Mexico

213: From The Bay Area To Mexico an Expat Story – Ken

170: Searching For Freedom In Mexico – Marc Clair

PURCHASE THE EXPATS GUIDE ON MOVING TO MEXICO

Inspired by Jonathan’s story to look further into Mexico? Get your own copy of the Expats Guide on Moving to Mexico and after you read the book, do us a HUGE favour and leave us a great review on Amazon! This is a huge help in getting the book in front of more people.

HOW TO REACH JONATHAN

Jonathan’s voiceover website: https://jonathanlockwood.com

The Mezcal Maniac Substack: https://mezcalmaniac.substack.com/

CONCLUSION

I had an absolute blast getting to know Jonathan and his story. His journey is such an excellent example of the kind of opportunities that can open for you when you begin to look at the world in a different way and decide to take the leap into the expat lifestyle. See you all next Wednesday on the podcast!

The post 237: A Different World: Jonathan Lockwood’s Mexican Relocation Amidst Global Madness appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.