I have traveled to South America many times now, visiting Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay. I like traveling to that area for a good reason. Like visiting the Czech Republic, travelling in South America seems inexpensive for Americans. This visit I traveled to the coast of Colombia to visit a friend and take an Easter vacation in the historic Cartagena. The charm of this city and inhabitants did not disappoint me.
Gasoline is cheap in Colombia, since it is an exporter of petroleum.
So Colombians have many cars, like people in the United States. Unfortunately, they lack something for cars- parking places. If you stay in a nice hotel in the United States anywhere except New York, you are almost guaranteed a free parking place. Not so in Cartagena, as in much of the rest of Colombia. There might be a convenient parking place, but then there may not be one, either.