I'll echo that. I was thinking in particular about some wonderful places in Bolivia I have been. But having encountered an American who was separated from his money while trying to live in Bolivia, and was even subjected to imprisonment on trumped up charges, I appreciate the difficulties that can arise. Now he stuck his head above the parapet, to the extent of annoying the police, which the sensible ex-pat perhaps does not. Rather the wise ex-pat makes himself a valued pillar of the local community, and hands out a few gratuties to the influential. But we all know from what went on in places like Zimbabwe that even this can be insufficient for self-preservation.

And in fact people have been stuffed by corrupt local politics in places as close to home, and apparently as subject to the rule of law, as Spain. In some cases, developers got planning permissions from corrupt politicians by bribing them, sold the house with documents even the local lawyer did not suspect, but nevertheless the state then came along and demolished the property. There may no longer be anyone with any money left to sue, so the (often expat) property-owner is the one who gets stuffed.