Why Colombians Don’t Take Responsibility 🇨🇴

After living in Medellín for almost a decade, this is one cultural difference I’ve experienced again and again — in business, customer service, appointments, dating, and everyday life. You’ll hear “qué pena con usted,” “se me presentó algo,” “había mucho tráfico,” or “tuve un inconveniente.” But there’s a big difference between explaining why something happened and actually taking responsibility for it. In this video, I talk about why this happens, avoiding confrontation, saving face, Colombian attitudes toward apologies and responsibility, and how this can clash with the more direct American idea of saying: “I messed up. That’s on me.” Obviously, this doesn’t describe every Colombian, and Americans make excuses too. This is about a cultural pattern I’ve personally noticed after almost a decade living and working in Colombia. What do you think? Is “qué pena con usted” an apology, or is there a difference between feeling bad and actually taking responsibility? 📸 Follow LaFond Social on Instagram:   / lafondsocial   📸 Follow me on Instagram:   / roblafond   🎥 Subscribe to LaFond Social:    / @lafondsocial   Real places. Real stories. Real Colombia. #Colombia #Medellin #LivingInColombia #ColombianCulture #LifeInColombia