Kidnapping Reports

Is this what you mean?

http://usinfo.state.gov/is/Archive/2005/Jan/03-725777.html

Thanks Phoenix, I searched around on that site including the advanced search feature but can't get anything more specific than the travel advisory reference: "including four abducted in 2004".

Whatever......
Just make sure they don't take you away too.

Re: Kidnapping Reports

To be honest with you, "Americans"Colombians are American also, are not liked or wanted anywhere, the reason is the policy of being the policemen of the world...
Regards.
Xavier

If you are in Colombia and a Colombian wishes to refer to a "norteamericano" without using the term "gringo" he will say "americano". I think the term "norteamericano" is more common in Mexico. No patriotic Colombian would ever call himself "American". He would always be "colombiano".

lala
It's more simpler than that. Xavier is only pointing out the fact that America is not a country, but a continent. Under that statement we are american too . Anyway I've found some people that doensn't like very much that only one country refers themselves as americans.

Many people other than those from the US refer to those from the US as "Americans." I think it's a shorthand for them. Of course we do it to, even though it is patently imprecise. What else to call us? US'ers? United States'ers? US'ians? Doesn't roll off the tongue. Norte Americanos? Won't that tick off the Canadians?

I've called us U.S. americans here on a2k and it sounds unwieldy at best. Many of us in the US do actually understand that the people of north, central, and south america are all from america; as Tico says, it is a shorthand used by many from the US and other places, including (I gather) south and central america and canada.