# Colombia Electrocutes Burglars Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY0-eZ-GGEg Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/vY0-eZ-GGEg Generated: 2026-01-29T16:45:08.686+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The video concludes that the electrical wiring in Cartagena, Colombia, especially in older or non-standard installations like those found in Comuna 13, is dangerously inadequate, as evidenced by testing a hairdryer that drew only 10 Amps on 120V (1200W) instead of the rated 27.5 Amps (3300W), and finding an ungrounded outlet and a non-functional smoke detector in a Cartagena hotel room. **Key Points:** - The host tested a 3300W hairdryer in a hotel room in Cartagena, Colombia, finding it only drew 10.08 Amps (approx. 1200 Watts) on a 120V outlet, far below the expected 27.5 Amps for full power. - The hotel bathroom outlet in Cartagena lacked a ground connection, testing as live but ungrounded, which is a significant safety hazard. - A smoke detector found in the hotel room was non-functional, lacking a battery and failing the test button press. - The video documented various electrical hazards across Colombia, including exposed, poorly insulated wiring in Medellín's Comuna 13 (08:04, 09:05) and dangerously exposed wires in Cartagena (06:08). - The host concluded that while some modern installations in Cartagena were up to North American standards (120V, grounded outlets), older or less regulated areas often feature substandard and dangerous wiring. - The video showcased several Colombian locations, including Bogotá (02:25), Medellín (08:46), Cartagena (24:11), and Guatapé (09:30), contrasting modern infrastructure with older, potentially unsafe installations. ![Screenshot at 23:04: The host uses a non-contact voltage tester to confirm that one socket in a hotel bathroom in Cartagena is live \(indicating a hot wire connection\) but lacks a proper ground connection, a major safety concern.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vY0-eZ-GGEg/00-23-04.jpg) **Context:** The video documents an investigation into electrical safety standards across different regions of Colombia, starting in Bogotá and moving through Medellín, Guatapé, and Cartagena. The host, Mehdi Sadaghdar of ElectroBOOM, uses specialized equipment like a multimeter and a non-contact voltage tester to check the wiring quality, outlet grounding, and presence of safety devices like GFCIs and smoke detectors in various settings, highlighting significant discrepancies compared to North American standards. ## Detailed Analysis The video, presented in the style of an ElectroBOOM segment, tours various locations in Colombia—Bogotá, Medellín, Guatapé, and Cartagena—to investigate electrical safety. In Bogotá (02:25), the host noted extremely messy overhead wiring in Comuna 13 (09:05) and found that electrical installations on buildings were often thin and questionable (03:04). Upon testing a 3300W hairdryer in a Cartagena hotel room (13:13), the host measured a current draw of only 10.08 Amps on a 120V outlet, indicating the outlet was underpowered compared to the appliance's rating (13:18). Further inspection of the hotel bathroom revealed an outlet with only live and neutral wires, lacking a ground connection (23:03). An additional smoke detector in the bathroom was found to be non-functional, lacking a battery (23:37). The host then tested other outlets in the Cartagena hotel, confirming that while some outlets were correctly wired with ground protection (24:56), others were completely ungrounded (24:47). The video also featured scenic shots of the visited cities, including the New Year's Eve celebrations in Cartagena (27:54). The overall conclusion is that electrical safety standards vary drastically across Colombia, with significant hazards like missing grounds, exposed wiring, and non-functional safety equipment present in various locations, contrasting sharply with the higher standards found in some newer buildings (24:01). ### Electrical Testing in Cartagena Hotel - Outlet #1 tested live but lacked ground (23:03) - Outlet #2 tested live and grounded (24:56) - Hairdryer only drew 1200W instead of 3300W on 120V (13:53) ### Safety Device Inspection - Hotel smoke detector was dead (no battery, failed test) (23:21) - Bathroom outlet lacked GFCI protection (24:09) ### Bogotá - Comuna 13 Observations - Extremely dense and chaotic overhead wiring found on utility poles (09:05) - Electrical wires running outside buildings were poorly insulated (06:08) ### Cartagena Street Scenes - Visited the Walled City (24:11) and saw street vendors, colorful buildings, and a massive New Year's Eve light display (27:54) ### Medellín Exploration - Visited Plaza Botero featuring Botero sculptures (18:52) and Comuna 13 with its outdoor escalators and murals (14:32) ### Final Assessment - Colombia exhibits a wide range of electrical infrastructure quality, from modern high-rise standards to highly precarious, ungrounded, and non-code-compliant wiring in older or informal settlements (24:04, 29:09). ![Screenshot at 00:01: Vlogger Mehdi Sadaghdar starts the video in an airport terminal, announcing his trip to Colombia.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vY0-eZ-GGEg/00-00-01.jpg) ![Screenshot at 02:27: A close-up shot of a poorly installed electrical fence using barbed wire combination on a perimeter wall in Bogotá.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vY0-eZ-GGEg/00-02-27.jpg) ![Screenshot at 03:56: A utility pole in Bogotá is overloaded with a chaotic mass of electrical and communication wires.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vY0-eZ-GGEg/00-03-56.jpg) ![Screenshot at 09:33: A colorful street scene in Guatapé featuring traditional architecture and street vendors, with an alpaca in the foreground.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vY0-eZ-GGEg/00-09-33.jpg) ![Screenshot at 13:55: A digital multimeter displays a current draw of 10.08 Amps while testing a hairdryer, significantly less than its rated capacity.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vY0-eZ-GGEg/00-13-55.jpg)