Violence in Spain

      If you want to travel to Spain I'm sure you would like to know about the crime rates and how safe it is to live here. Let me be the first to tell you that Spain is a relatively safe country. As of right now the Global peace index of 2019 gives Spain a score of 32 (USA ranks 128). So that should give you an idea of the safety level.

                                                                                                                  Guns

     Unlike the U.S. it is illegal for anyone (except for law enforcement and military) to own a gun. It is extremely rare that you will hear about someone get shot from a drive by, in school or the grocery store parking lot. Spaniards are very confused how easy it is to get a gun in the U.S. Here you can walk around the city knowing that you have a better chance of winning the lottery than getting shot.

                                                                                                           Staying out late

     There are some neighborhoods in Madrid (like Lavapies) where they warn you not to stay out late. However, I have never had any issues. The majority of Spain pretty much stays out late until 6 or 7 in the morning. The "bad" neighbors are usually packed with people too and the police roams around there frequently. I used to live in Lavapies and I had no problems. I would never stay out late in Los Angeles like I do here so lets just put it that way.

                                                                                                                 Fights

     I have seen three fights since I've lived in Spain. All three happened during a night out dancing at the club and two of those fights were caused by tourists. So fights do happen occasionally, but you won't see them every day.

                                                                                                            Terrorists Attacks

     Ok so there have been some terrorists attacks in Spain. Since I've lived here there was one attack in Barcelona. Two extremists ran people over in a mini-van. The police acted quickly to apprend the perpetrators.  I've also heard of a terrorist attack happening in Madrid many years ago by an extremist political group that no longer exists. Other than that things have been pretty quiet.

                                                                                                               Protests

     I have seen quite a few protests and some of them did turn a little violent. I have seen them all happen in Barcelona. Barcelona is having political issues with many (not all) of the population wants to be independent from Spain. This has caused illegal voting, political officials getting arrested and various protests. So be aware should you decide to visit Barcelona.

                                                                                                         Recommendations

     Other than the obvious there are things you can do to keep yourself aware of what's going on not only in Spain, but also in other countries you intend to visit. Before you travel you can register (for free) on the U.S. embassy site of the country you want to visit. You input your exact destination and they will send you updates of everything that is happening along with warnings on how to keep yourself and your family safe.
   
     They'll send you contact information for emergencies, news updates and links to news articles (in English) and tell you how to best keep safe and enjoy your trip. The link is https://step.state.gov/step/ Its called the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). I hope this information helps you. Happy traveling!

Hasta Luego!