The U.S. Government advises people to "reconsider travel" to Mexico, which is the third-highest of four levels of danger.Covid-19, as well as a rise in crime and kidnappings, are the major reasons.Like many countries, some areas are safer than others.Major tourist areas are generally safe.The overall crime rate per thousand people is actually higher in the United States than in Mexico. Look for the Centro Historico, which is the major tourist area in town. The official leading Mexicos response has called massive testing useless and a waste of time, despite the World Health Organizations insistence on the importance of testing. In reality, Mexico is as safe as the United States. You see these things up on the screen and say to yourself: That arm looks sort of familiar, that head. Its just so terrible the viciousness that were seeing in this state, she said. Almost two-thirds (64 percent) reported physical violence at the time of arrest, including electric shocks, choking, and smothering. Crime Index 2023 Sydney, Australia Tokyo, Japan Berlin, Germany Delhi, India New York, NY, United States Prague, Czech Republic London, United Kingdom Beijing, China Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 0 20 40 60 80. Because one person couldnt do all this on their own.. Los Cabos consists of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo (which you suggest people avoid.). The Lpez Obrador administration has failed to take many of the basic steps recommended by global health authorities to limit the spread of Covid-19. (Video: Reuters) Between January and September 2021, Tulum experienced 65 murders, an 80.5 percent. Your intuition is probably right, and even if not, better safe than sorry. But figures compiled by another official body, the National System for Public Security, suggest that in the whole of 2019 the number of murders was higher than in 2018. While the U.S. State Department does not have a Tulum-specific advisory, the . If people see you are trying to speak their language, they are more likely to offer to help you. Nine people shot dead in Mexico amusement arcade, Second Mexico butterfly activist found dead, Missing Mexican butterfly activist found dead, Ex-baseball star Narciso Elvira killed in Mexico, Mexico indigenous group enlists children as police, Indigenous musicians killed in Mexico ambush, More than 60,000 Mexicans 'disappeared' in drug war, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. President Lpez Obrador said in May 2019 that his government would reject the initiative and re-orient US-Mexican cooperation to target the drivers of migration to the US by reducing poverty in Central America and southeastern Mexico. In 2021, the State of Mexico was the federal entity with the most crimes per 100,000 inhabitants in Mexico. The Lpez Obrador administration has taken steps to determine and publish the true number of people disappeared. The overall crime rate in the United States is 47.70. Mexico's homicide rate has been rising every year since 2014 but it remains well below those of other countries worldwide. Ice at a restaurant may come from tap water.You will get sick from tap water, but it is not fatal or serious in most cases. On 7 June, an astonishing 117 murders were recorded in 24 hours, making it the country's most violent day of the year so far. Respect for the Integrity of the Person a. However, as production and distribution increased, the groups began fighting for territorial control and access to markets, leading to an increase in violence across Mexico. These are operated by well-trained guides and drivers, and they have a lot of tours to choose from. A resident of one small town in the Sierra described how cartel gunmen in black combat gear with the groups initials stamped on to their bullet-proof vests often swept through its streets in high-end 4x4s, some with mounted machine guns. Quintana Roo in Mexico remains one of the safest states for tourists, despite rising crime rates and reports of bloodshed sparked by cartel warfare in several parts of the country. Human rights violationsincluding torture, enforced disappearances, abuses against migrants, extrajudicial killings, and attacks on independent journalists and human rights defendershave continued under President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador, who took office in December 2018. Guanajuato is one of those places that needs to be explored by walking. If you stick to the right areas in Mexico you will be completely safe. At no point did I feel in danger. Dont be silly, mexico is alright, but as any latin american country, you cannot do things you can do in Europe like going out by night. Criminal cartels, common criminals, and sometimes police and migration officials regularly target people migrating through Mexico to rob, kidnap, extort, rape, or kill them. We analyze the interaction between Marijuana and Alcohol as correlates of property crimes among Mexican adolescents. Less internationally famous than the Sinaloa cartel of the now jailed Joaqun El Chapo Guzmn, the Jalisco organization is notorious at home for displays of ultraviolence and military might that experts say pose a growing threat to Mexicos nationalist president, Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador. Water is contaminated in many areas, however. Mexico has cooperated with the Trump administrations attempts to curtail the right to asylum. You should never let your guard down when traveling to such places. That means the homicide crime rate was 29 per 100,000 in 2020. Mexico has relied heavily on the military for drug control and to fight organized crime, leading to widespread human rights violations. Weve been experiencing tough times because criminal groups have been trying to destabilize our state and create an atmosphere of terror, Enrique Alfaro, the Jalisco governor, said last month as hundreds of troops arrived, supposedly to combat the violence. Field Report from Tamaulipas: English language version of "Informe de campo: Seguridad en Tamaulipas Hoy: Una Paz Simulada." Since 2010, the Mexican border state of Tamaulipas has been in a state of high-intensity armed conflict. A pandemic-focused survey update of approximately 5,000 Americans was fielded in February and March 2022, and our analysis of the most recent FBI crime data (crimes reported in 2020) was completed in March as well. It is severely restricted elsewhere. Travelers should also follow general safety measures (listed below) on a daily basis while visiting Mexico. A white-handled kitchen knife had been used to pin a warning to the black body bag. 9% of New Mexicans reported having a personal experience with violent crime in the 12 months prior to the surveydown from 14% the previous year. Too touristy for my taste. In 2018 the number of people killed was more than four times that in 2007. Last June, Jalisco gunmen launched one of the most brazen assaults in decades: a pre-dawn attempt to assassinate Mexico Citys security chief that underlined how Lpez Obradors pledges to pacify Mexico have gone unfulfilled. Few understand the cartels powers better than residents of the Sierra de Ahuisculco, a mountain range to Guadalajaras west where it runs paramilitary-style training camps and secret laboratories that produce vast quantities of synthetic drugs to traffic north to the US. The CNDH reported 2,234 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 198 deaths, as of September 1, in prisons, which are notoriously overcrowded and unhygienic. Hes happy., The source claimed El Mencho, thought to be in his mid-50s, was known for being simptico and having a good repertoire of jokes. In September 2020, President Lpez Obrador asked Congress to approve holding a referendum on whether every president since 1988five in totalshould be put on trial for crimes including electoral fraud, corruption, and loss of lives to neoliberalism. Do not travel there alone and exercise extreme caution. Two suspected drug gang members were shot dead near a Cancun resort in Mexico on Nov. 3. Note: The safety and security equipment and services sector encompasses several different segments, including some defense products. The violent crime rate in the United States has decreased sharply over the past 25 years. displays of ultraviolence and military might, a pre-dawn attempt to assassinate Mexico Citys security chief, to turn his criminal life into a Hollywood blockbuster, through which precursor chemicals are smuggled in from China. 27. But with scenes such as those in the city of Culiacn in October, where residents had to take cover as a convoy of heavily armed cartel trucks rolled into the city, being shown on TV, more and more people are questioning whether they may be in danger. Except for last year's extended publication deadline, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this report is released by October 1 of each year. Generally, the southern part of Mexico is much safer than the northern states. 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Mexico Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Download [1 MB] Translations In this section / EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Section 1. Try to blend in as far as clothing, wherever you are. Mexico's location on the southern border of the US means that for decades it has been home to powerful criminal groups smuggling cocaine, heroine, marijuana and methamphetamines north to the United States, the world's largest market for illicit drugs. In many states, people with disabilities have no choice but to depend on their families for assistance or to live in institutions, which is inconsistent with their right to live independently and be included in the community. The cathedral was completed in 1598. No, I dont think so, said one underworld observer who asked not to be named. Reforms enacted in 2017 and 2018 have been slow and until now ineffective in addressing torture and impunity. In December 2006, then-President Felipe Caldern launched a "war on drugs", deploying more than 50,000 soldiers and federal police officers. President Lpez Obrador has greatly expanded the scope of the armed forces activities, deploying them for law enforcement and customs enforcement, and to control irregular immigration, run social programs, and build and operate megaprojects. It truly breaks my heart to see what has happened over the past 42 years. As of November 2020, many people were still waiting under the program, forced to live in precarious, unsanitary, and dangerous conditions with inadequate support from the Mexican government. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings b. These areas cater to tourists and the government helps keep them safe. The Institute for economy and peace reports that Zacatecas state has the highest murder rate in Mexico, of 97.3 murders per 100,000 inhabitants. The 2021 edition of the Mexico Peace Index a comprehensive measure of national peacefulness with trends, analysis and estimates of the economic impact of violence has been released with good news: Mexico's peace has improved after four years of deterioration. Mexico crime rate & statistics for 2019 was 28.74, a 1.15% decline from 2018. Disappearance Last month came another reminder of the cartels punch: the body of a key defector, El Cholo, was dumped on a park bench in Tlaquepaque, a tourist town near Guadalajara famed for its pottery and mariachis. Guadalajara has long been one of the most important addresses in the Mexican drug business. Organized crime entrepreneurs manage a diversity of businesses that include the sale of arms, kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, smuggling of natural resources, money laundering, drug trafficking and a score of other crimes. TYT.-. A website compared crime statistics between Mexico and the United States and found Mexico to be less dangerous in many statistical categories. You live in fear. Few photographs of him exist. Nobody touches him. The previous high had been on 20 April, when 114 homicides took place.. The EU has repeatedly denounced killings of journalists, activists, politicians and judges in Mexico, and urged Mexico to ensure thorough investigations and accountability for the crimes committed. Ancient Mayan and Aztec ruins, as well as some amazing colonial architecture, is itself a major reason to visit Mexico. Mexico Crime Map - El Crimen Map of homicides in Mexico from February 2022 to January 2023 0 432.9 The color of the circles corresponds to the homicide rate and the size to the number of homicide reports (which may refer to more than one victim). In 2019, President Lpez Obrador deployed the National Guarda branch of the militaryfor migration enforcement. Some are transnational enterprises which operate as far south as Argentina and have off-shoots in Europe. Guadalajara is the second city in size after Mexico City and has a magnificent mix of colonial and Tapatios influences. Through a broad, encompassing survey of key data and statistics, Justice in Mexico's 2021 Organized Crime and Violence in Mexico report seeks to shed further light on the complex trends and patterns influencing the overall trajectory of Mexico's security situation. Globally, it ranks at number 19 in the list of countries with the highest rate of intentional homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the most recent figures gathered by the United Nations. Some of it is just the minerals in the water that we are not used to, but there are also contaminated systems in Mexico. They say that while the release of El Chapo's son may have saved lives on the day, it set a dangerous precedent and will lead to cartels further flexing their muscles. Mexican laws do not adequately protect women and girls against gender-based and sexual violence. Preliminary figures released by Mexico's National Institute for Statistics for the first six months of 2019 suggest a drop of 3.2% in homicides compared to the same period the previous year. That group was led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes or El Mencho as most know him a former police officer who is now the DEAs top Mexican target. In the six years of his presidency, the official figure of people killed in drug-related violence was 60,000. I wouldnt do it. Forbes Magazine interviewed an FBI agent who worked in Mexico, and he said the country is safe if you use common sense. In 2019 a well-respected human rights defender was appointed to head the National Search Commission (CNB). PICKPOCKETS? It isclose to the ocean, with some beautiful underdeveloped beaches. The area of Yucatan is built for tourists and it is safe for that reason. People are VERY friendly. The Mexican government officially declared war on criminal organizations in 2006, when former President Felipe Calderon launched an initiative to combat cartels using military force. Mexico and its people are beautiful, personally have never had any problems, but Mexico has lost its way over the years (Very Sad). 4. Its generally safe to travel alone, as a man or woman, but traveling during night time is not ok I think. Mexican President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador, center, stands with Secretary of Defense Luis Crescencio Sandoval, left, and Secretary of the Navy, Vidal Francisco Sobern, in an open military vehicle during the Independence Day military parade in the main plaza, the Zcalo, in Mexico City. In its 2019 review of Mexico, the UN Committee Against Torture reported that of 3,214 torture complaints in 2016, only eight resulted in an arrest and trial. There have been earthquakes in mountainous areas, as well as hurricanes along the coast, but it is rare to have a major disaster in Mexico.Keep an eye on weather forecasts as you would at home.The infrastructure in Mexico is not that great, so if there is one, it may be worse than if you were at home. Dont flash expensive electronics, jewelry, or cash around where a pickpocket might see it. The southern areas are hot, so drink plenty of water. Eventually, I made my way to Mrida, and really fell in love with that city. Other ways to share For a complete crime and safety report for all of Mexico please visit El Crimen. It wont kill you, but it will make you very sick for a day or two. The National Guard is led by military officers, trained by the military, and composed largely of military troops. Mexico has a lot to offer, from beautiful beaches, mountains, canyons, and rich cultural life from a diverse group of influences. In the 1980s, Mexicos crime groups and drug traffickers became organized, assigning distinct regional areas of control for each group and establishing networks and trafficking routes. Meridas central mercado spreads over several city blocks. In 2007, the George W. Bush administration and Calderon government launched the Merida Initiative to improve U.S.-Mexico cooperation on security and rule of law issues in Mexico, and support for the initiative has continued under the Donald J. Trump administration. You dont need to be fluent, but knowing some words will help. Why so much evil in the world? Ayala wept as she remembered her difficulty in breaking the news to her three-year-old grandson who thought he had been abandoned by his father. While most areas are safe, there are bad people everywhere, so if your radar is going off, it is doing so for a reason. So, rule #1 is to NOT stick out as a tourist. Under several layers of dusky earth they made an even more grotesque discovery. Criminal cartels often do so with the tolerance or even involvement of certain public officials, the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights reported in 2013. In one incident, in the state of Jalisco, a man died after police detained him for not wearing a face mask in accordance with Covid-19 response measures. In October, one of El Chapo's sons, Ovidio Guzmn Lpez, was freed on the orders of the Mexican government after Sinaloa cartel gunmen flooded the city of Culiacn and surrounded security forces to press for their boss's release. Make safety your top priority, no matter what else you are doing. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Mexican cartels represent the greatest drug-related threat, supplying heroin, marijuana, methamphetamines, and other drugs, to the United States. The military is now legally permitted to detain civilians, take charge of crime scenes, and preserve evidence; under past governments, charging the military with these tasks has contributed to serious cover-ups of human rights abuses. ; Also according to the UK Government, over 576,971 British nationals visited Mexico in 2017 with most visits being trouble-free. Mexican governments have long argued that the majority of the victims have ties to criminal gangs or have somehow become "mixed up" in their illegal business. The states of Sinaloa, Nuevo Leon, Guerrero, and Michoacan all have do not travel advisories from the state department. Since President Lpez Obrador took office and through time of writing, the National Council on People with Disabilities, the principal government body coordinating efforts to implement disability rights, has been effectively non-operational. And some parts of Mexico where drug cartel violence is at its worst have long been on a no-go list, with a level 4 no-go advisory. Snorkeling is awesome here as is scuba diving. For example, global peace declined by 0.3% overall between the 2021 and 2022 GPI reports. Mexicos Grand Canyon or Copper Canyon or Barranca del Cobre is a spectacular group of deep canyons. The products with the highest level of international sales in 2020 were Figs, Pineapples Avocados, Guava, Mangoes, Fresh or Dried (US$2.94B), Other Fruit and Nuts, Fresh (US$593M), and Fruit and Nuts, Uncooked or Cooked in Water or Steam, Frozen, whether Added Sugar or other Sweetening Matter . The ITF Road Safety Annual Report 2021 examines the development of road safety in the year 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that a same-sex couple from Aguascalientes state should be allowed to register their child, to protect the best interest of the child and uphold principles of equality and non-discrimination. SARs in Action - Issue 16 (July) ( pdf, 2.87 MB ) (1802 downloads) Popular. Cities that border the United States are considered unsafe because of drug cartels. Torture is widely practiced in Mexico to obtain confessions and extract information. Mexico: Failings in investigations of feminicides in the State of Mexico violate women's rights to life, physical safety and access to justice - Amnesty International Barcroft Media via Getty Images News September 20, 2021 Puerto Vallarta. El Mencho is thought to live hidden in the mountains of south Jalisco but when troops tried to capture him there in 2015 it ended badly, with cartel killers shooting down an army helicopter with a rocket launcher.