Comment

Comment by Las Villas de Bellavista on October 26, 2010 at 12:05pm

The "main problem" does NOT involve "interior areas" as was quoted by TravelMole since states such as Sonora, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas are BORDER states, not interior. For those of us who have lived for many years in Mexico, we are well aware that for decades, the pot-producing states of Michoacan, Guerrero, & Oaxaca have always been known to the government and their product was shipped to the US consumer market by the routes (Durango & Sinaloa) used today by the cartels. Mexico is safe for tourists. The violence is among gang members and law enforcement groups with many on the take...

However, the main reason one does not travel at night here in Mexico on rural roads (paid toll highways are fine), isn´t because of so-called bandidos, but because there is so much livestock that crosses these roads and trucks that are lacking in brake lights etc, since these roads have no lighting and no maintenance!

Comment by David Paul Appell on October 26, 2010 at 11:18am

For what it's worth, here are excerpts from a piece from TravelMole on the subject of safety/security:

"The main problems in Mexico involve interior areas that are far from the Riviera Maya and Cozumel beaches more frequented by sun-seeking tourists.

...While the US State Department has travel warnings in place for Mexico, the violence and the warnings are far from resort areas such as Cancun, Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Cabos, popular incentive destinations.

...There's no denying the country does have problems. It is not advisable to drive on rural roads and highways at night. Bandits occasionally set up roadblocks and rob travellers, for example. But incidents are far from commonplace.

...The State Department warning advises US citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to Michoacán and Tamaulipas, and to parts of Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, and Coahuila.

The warning also says: 'Millions of US citizens safely visit Mexico each year. This includes tens of thousands who cross the border every day for study, tourism or business and at least one million US citizens who live in Mexico … Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major drug trafficking routes.'

...One piece of evidence of the country’s relative safety for most visits: Many tourists to the country are repeat visitors, which demonstrates that the vast majority of tourists leave with overwhelmingly positive impressions."

http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1144844.php

Comment by Las Villas de Bellavista on October 25, 2010 at 11:02am

Unfortunately the "mainstream press" has done enough to panic the traveling public and it is devastating to those of us who are enjoying the peace, tranquility and beautiful weather here in Cuernavaca Morelos (historical highlands of Mexico) which had some violence months ago, mainly with street sellers and their gangs in the adjacent poor communities, a detail which of course was never mentioned since journalism today evidently doesn´t require actual investigative reporting. The violence today is where the drugs are being transported to their American consumers AT THE BORDER and because there are few restrictions on arms sales at the US´s many gun shows, 80% of all grenades, ak47´s, etc.are being used by young gang members who are being paid $1,000 USD every 15 days instead of the minimum wage of $8 USD/day. The wanton violence is increasing at the border and until this is viewed as a BI-NATIONAL PROBLEM, this Pandora´s box is a result of the NRA´s influence, the racism that is fueled by the immigration fiasco which then has ALL of Mexico as the convenient scapegoat for the "mainstream press". We just had an incredible Gastronomic Fair in our Centro Historico and it was PACKED...

Comment by Northeast News on October 24, 2010 at 10:15pm

You must be right, John. In fairness to the mainstream media, they have been saying that the violence (28,000 dead so far) has been concentrated in a few places, mostly along the border. But thinking back to the Achille Lauro incident, which young people reading this may not remember, I'm still surprised travelers are not panicking.

Comment by John Lamkin on October 24, 2010 at 10:10pm

Maybe there enough intelligent people that don't listen to what the 'mainstream media' tells them. Read Tripatini.

Comment by Northeast News on October 24, 2010 at 9:24pm

Today's New York Times reports, "Undeterred by travel warnings and frightening headlines about safety in Mexico, an increasing number of...tourists are flying to the country." I remember that after the Achille Lauro incident, Americans stayed away from Europe as if the whole continent were a war zone. Am I wrong to be surprised by this news?

Comment by Tripatini on October 15, 2010 at 12:25pm

And PLEASE CLICK HERE to help a Tripatino with a question about accredited travel agencies in Mexico. Gracias otra vez!

Comment by Tripatini on October 14, 2010 at 6:08pm

PLEASE CLICK HERE to help a Tripatino with a question on Cabo and Mazatlan. Gracias!

Comment by David Paul Appell on October 14, 2010 at 4:32pm

Conditions change from month to month, so I cannot speak for what the situation might be like in any give place right now. But I will say that over the years (including recent years) I have traveled a fair bit around parts of Mexico -- including Mexico City, Sinaloa, Durango, and the border areas of Culiacán -- and have never felt threatened. And the tourist areas in particular do feel insulated and seem better policed. I don't want to minimize the problem, but at the same time I've seen over and over how the media can generate alarm not even on purpose necessarily, but by amplifying bad news and sometimes turning a proverbial molehill into a mountain. I had friends in Europe who back in the 1980s would never for a moment consider visiting New York City because they thought they'd be shot the moment they left JFK. And the area where I'm currently based, Miami, has had plenty of its own bad press, including tourists killed both by accident and on purpose. So as Sylvia Laitre says below, let's be concerned but at the same time try to keep a sense of perspective.

Comment by Las Villas de Bellavista on October 14, 2010 at 3:49pm

These were great links that you all posted-please read my comments on Steve Winston´s blog for specifics (excuse my verbosity as I am passionate about this). Mexico is safe for tourists. Cuernavaca, Morelos is safe and I feel more secure than ever-and that is over 26 yrs and counting! There is a concerted attempt at Mexico-bashing and it has to do with scapegoating a whole country for immigration xenophobia, depressed economy, racism and poor TV news ratings. Even the LA times has a whole section called "Mexico Under Siege" which apparently does not publish any comments that do not fit in with their agenda to promote the image that all of Mexico is violent. I lived in LA for over 25 years and the violence due to drug gangs, anti-police riots, and run-of-the-mill crime (rape, murder, theft, extorsion,etc.) was and is constant in the areas controlled by gangs of all races and groups. If you don´t buy or sell drugs and avoid the violent border towns where the municipal police are being replaced by a new federally trained police force (Mando Unico which is eliminating low-paid and poorly trained corruptable police with a professional, certified police force) you will not only be safe but glad you did not buy the hype...

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