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Mexico has a reputation as a risky place to visit. The popular travel destination is often highlighted in the news for its large volume of drug-related crime. Is the media drawing attention to a legitimate threat to tourists or is it a case of a few isolated incidents being blown out of proportion? And if the danger is real, what can you do to avoid it? The key to safety lies mostly in where you go, but there are also some simple precautions you can take to prevent yourself from becoming a target.
The Cause Of The Concern
As far back as ten years ago, there were news reports of armed robbery, abduction and assault against tourists in the country, even in Mexico City. On February 20 of this year, the US Department of State issued a warning to travellers and a week later the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa followed suit. The statements single out areas along the US-Mexico border, like Ciudad Juarez across from El Paso, Texas, and Tijuana across from San Diego, as being places to steer clear of.
The border cities are hot zones because of illegal drugs being smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico. The gangs that control the drug trade are notorious for their brutality in protecting their enormously profitable illegal business enterprises. Not only do the gangs attack each other, but they are also at an ongoing war with Mexican police and government officials.
This conflict has escalated into “public shootouts during daylight hours in shopping centers and other public venues,” in the abovementioned cities. Not only are the drug dealers bold enough to kill police, they’ve also infiltrated them. There are many cases of gang members dressing in police uniform and corrupt officers continue to be an issue for the authorities.
Hello, Welcome To Tijuana…
It sounds scary enough to justify a public warning, yet Tijuana remains one of the most popular tourist cities in Mexico, is a cultural focal point and has a lively nightlife. It used to have a reputation for wild parties and easy access to illegal prostitution and drugs. The city’s effort to change that image was undertaken in part to discourage spring break partiers from seedier pursuits that put them in the path of gang members or police.
The safest decision is to just not go there at all. Unless you live right next door in California or Texas, it’s just as convenient to go to any of the other resort towns like Cancun or Acapulco, and it carries a much smaller risk. Even then, you have to bear in mind that crimes like robbery, assault, kidnapping and carjacking occur throughout Mexico, including resorts.
Don’t Be A Target
Carjacking in particular is a common way for robbers to part tourists of their money. Highway robbery is prevalent enough that the Department of State advises against driving at night and suggests only taking main roads during the day. There have also been instances of unwitting tourists hopping into fake taxicabs only to be confronted by armed men minutes later. If you are driving in Mexico, keep your windows up, don’t stop for hitchhikers or anybody else and follow the advice of the U.S. and Canadian governments: move around during the day, on main roads and know exactly where you’re going.
There are also ways to reduce your chances of getting robbed. Criminals are only interested in money, so they target wealthy-looking tourists. Protect yourself by not wearing any jewellery or visibly expensive clothing, by carrying only traveller’s cheques instead of cash and by making any spending you do as quiet as possible. When staying in a hotel or lodging, do not unlock your room door for anybody or, if you do, confirm that they are staff. As always, maintain your sobriety.
Worth The Risk?
Keep in mind that all of these precautions are important wherever you travel. Crime happens everywhere, but a lot of the tourists victimized by theft or by violence were not looking out for possible dangers because they weren’t aware of them or, in some cases, were in the wrong place at the wrong time. So while you have to keep yourself safe, as Canada’s junior foreign minister, Peter Kent, says, “...the major tourist locations, don't have any more risk involved than at normal times.” It’s up to you to decide whether the risk is worth it. Evidently some think it is since almost 1.5 million Canadians visited Mexico in 2008. But if you don’t, the surest way to eliminate any risk is to plan your vacation somewhere else.
Sources:
CTV
www.mexperience.com
richardcochrane.hypocrisy.com
travel.state.gov
www.kevincoffee.com
www.thestar.com
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