What you're describing is a gated community. Those exist in Guatemala.

You can share guards with a neighbor even without being behind the same fence. What he's describing is merely a community.

Sure, but without a wall and entry point it becomes much more difficult to monitor people in and out. Foot and car traffic gets scanned and must be buzzed into the area. Taxis or anything suspicious are forced to open the trunk and get a quick security check on exit (avoid kidnapping/theft).

I've lived in loosely-gated communities, and the sense of security is just far less. Here I don't mind walking around at 2am -- there's simply zero crime inside the area. I don't even lock my doors sometimes. (There's cameras covering every part of the community.)

We have about 400 houses, each paying about $30 a month for security and commons/park maintenance. A guard makes $400 a month.

What's the upside to living in Guatemala? I ask this as a first generation American and as someone who is considering leaving the states for a while.

Not much. I'm here with my girls due to immigration stuff we need to sort out (my wife's from here).

It's a nice place to visit. Geography is great. But the constant brokenness of everything just wears you down. The pervasive violence also just adds a pall over everything. I think a lot of people just sort of give up on the place -- things don't really change. It's not just corrupt (who cares if someone takes money), it's just sheer incompetence all around. I mean this at every single level. From government, to doctors, to people building basic structures with no planning/engineering.

I truly believe countries like these only have hope if a serious country comes in an runs the place.