Proposed location: Bogotá
Why is Bogotá the best place to host Devcon VII? Convince us 
The Ethereum community in Latin America is growing. Ethereum can have a real impact in LatAm today. Bogotá is one of the most popular cities in Latin America, international access is very good, and it is not expensive.
Answer the following questions to see if your suggested city matches the key criteria to host the next Devcon:
Country and Entry
1. What are the visa restrictions for the country?
- Citizens of many countries enjoy visa exemption for Colombia
- Easy electronic visa for many countries
Resources:
https://www.onlinevisa.com/visa-policy/colombia/
https://www.cancilleria.gov.co/en/tourist-visa
2. How easy is the international access?
- Most accessible city in South America because it’s located in the northern part
- El Dorado International Airport offers direct flights from many regions around the world
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Dorado_International_Airport#Airlines_and_destinations
https://www.airport-bogota.com/el-dorado-arrivals
3. What about the safety and political stability of the region?
- Colombia has a high crime rate because of the cultivation and trafficking of cocaine
- But (!) since the 1990s the crime rate is constantly decreasing and the state organizes programs to improve the safety
- peace deal concluded between the government and the country’s largest guerrilla group, the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia), in 2016
Resources:
https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/COL/colombia/crime-rate-statistics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Colombia#Bogotá
4. How expensive are venue rent, accommodation, food, and transport?
- Uber is very cheap (aprx. 3 $ per 20-30 min)
- Bogotá is very affordable
Resources:
Here is a personal story of a traveler with good tips: https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/colombia-travel-costs/#:~:text=You’ll roughly spend around,-60 USD
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Colombia
https://nomadlist.com/bogota
5. What is the climate during Q3/Q4?
- comfortable year-round
- average daily highs of around 20ºC (68°F), and nighttime lows around 8ºC (mid-40s°F)
City and Venue
1. How easy is the transportation in the city (between venues, airport, etc.)?
- Bogotá is a very walkable city
- Uber is very cheap
- There are busses and metro
2. Are there modern venues (WiFi/Maneuverability/Catering)?
3. Are there venues with the capacity to host between 5-10k+ people?
- The Agora Bogotá Convention Center has this capacity
4. What are attractions in or around the city?
- the Andean region
- Bogotá is very green thanks to its parks and the hills
- amazing coffee
- a lot of traditional food
Ethereum community and Impact
1. How does the Ethereum community look like in this region (e.g.: existing large community/ small but growing rapidly, etc.)?
In Latin America there is an ambitious community that the Ethereum ecosystem could help grow. For example:
2. What is the potential of Ethereum to have an impact in that region?
Vitalik Buterin put it like this:
“The difference between Argentina and some of the wealthier countries is that in wealthier places, there are people who are excited about crypto ideas and theory, but people here deeply understand that crypto is solving real problems.”
3. How is hosting Devcon in that city benefiting the Ethereum ecosystem?
- meeting grassroots ETH communities
- onboarding new groups to Ethereum
- opportunities for Ethereum to have a real impact today
- getting to know Latin America
- Bogotá will bring its people, culture, and experiences to Devcon
Concerns and Downsides
Every location has its pros and cons. It’s important to also consider the potential downsides.
- What are possible risks?
- Colombia has a higher crime rate compared to European or most US cities.
Although Bogotá has been safer than in the past 50 years, it’s good to inform attendees about extra precautions.
- What could be the downsides?
- Some people might hesitate to visit Devcon in Bogotá because of safety concerns.
Additional Information
