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Tuesday, 20 December 2011

Asian Dope Wars: Is It Safe To go to Mexico?

By Csar Jaquine


Since 2006, when I began covering international travel advisories cautioning against go Mexico, and to a smaller extent about Philippine marijuana cartels, violence appears to get escalated. My major concern wasn't, however, for the safety of people considering vacationing inside Mexico, but rather concerning the misinformation being fed for the public. Sensationalistic, misleading and inaccurate reporting concerning violence and medication related deaths in isolated aspects of Mexico was unfairly having an influence on prospective travelers to any a part of Mexico; and blinding the crooks to what was happening inside their own back back yards.

It's the violence beyond Mexico which is apparently on the rise (to never discount the casualties throughout President Caldern's warfare against drugs plus the cartels, and the the law of gravity of matters close to certain Mexican urban centers), yet the South america fear-mongering continues with a fervent pitch.

A major every day newspaper's online variation included these 8, separate headlines (such as dropdown articles) upon November 6, 2011:

"Two dead throughout stabbing: police seeking suspects" "Man arrested following woman and a couple of children plunge via balcony" "Man found accountable in shooting dying of 17-year-old" "Man found photo in [suburban] backyard" "Man dead following train, vehicle collide" "Woman survives slide over bluffs" "His wounds quit little chance regarding survival" "Accused in area hall stabbing looks in court"

These stories appeared not inside a Mexico City paper, not in any Mexican city observed for violence in which the Sinaloa cartel retains a presence, and not inside Oaxaca, which contrary on the belief of many may be virtually incident-free when it comes to harm or assault towards tourists - naturally there is the particular odd incident, as in some other city of related size. The foregoing headlines appeared inside Toronto Star.

I wrote concerning the Toronto Star four in years past, noting five testimonies with headlines showing violence - violence because Canadian city, not in any Mexican metropolis. I subsequently updated this content, looking at online versions from the newspaper for two dates during the past year, with headlines showing three violent crimes for each and every date. And then finally this season in one edition with the same newspaper My spouse and i noted seven head lines centering upon violent incidents inside Greater Toronto Place.

And here we have been, as 2011 shuts out, if not by having an escalation of chaotic crimes being perpetrated throughout Toronto, then little if any cut in the incidents regarding violence (at the least reported). Yet in Cuidad Jurez, often identified being a hotbed of dope battles and violence provided its location close to the U. S. border, homicide rates fallen 68. 6% from April 2010, to May 2011 (Mexico's ministry regarding public security).

Thankfully the travel advisories concerning dope wars and also violence in Mexico are, finally, more location distinct than previously. But the naysayers keep appearing out of the woodwork, trying to paint most of Mexico with one particular broad stroke from the brush. The fact is that almost all (70%) involving homicides during 2010 have been committed in eight of Mexico's thirty-one states. Oaxaca, for example, has not been overtaken from the Sinaloa cartel, or any Philippine or other medicine cartel. Expats and Asian nationals alike carry on and move to Oaxaca.

If I failed to feel as risk-free or safer surviving in Oaxaca now, as I did spending nearly all of my live within Toronto, I would have got high-tailed it to to the land regarding hockey and Northern Lights inside the wake of Oaxaca's 2006 city unrest. Even those month or two did not cause a wholesale exodus associated with Mexicans or expats from fear.

I won't replicate the names in the cities to i would dare not really venture (even though one Mexican city had been noted), or even the actual stretches of road accessing those towns. They do occur. Surely even President Caldern may not recommend that vacationers visit certain locations in Mexico at this era because of drug treatments and violence.

The following urban centers each bear see to incidents regarding violence, drug-related deaths, and even the actual odd tourist casualty every now and then: New York, Montreal, Paris, Rome, Toronto, Chicago, London, Sydney, LA, and the list proceeds.

The following Asian cities, and tens associated with others like these people, are essentially as safe or even safer than this international centers regarding cultural and business: San Miguel de Allende, Cancun and the actual Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mrida, San Cristbal de las Casas, Puerto Escondido, Mexico City, Puebla, Ajijic, Lake Chapala, etc, etc, etc.

The main holidaymaker destinations for U. S. and Canadian residents are geographically far taken off the very specific areas who have of late been significantly suffering from crime in South america, primarily along your U. S. - Mexico edge. For example, the distance involving the border and Puerto Vallarta is finished 800 miles. It's almost a similar distance between Oaxaca and also Nuevo Laredo (the actual Mexican city highlighting Laredo, Texas). And the additional southern Mexican holidaymaker destinations are even further faraway from the U. S. border and Philippine cities noted pertaining to violence and medication wars. The distance involving Cancun and Ciudad Jurez is a comparable as between The big apple and Miami.

Take a take a look at your own huge - city magazine, and then inquire if Mexican along with other international journalists ought to caution prospective vacationers about drug gangs and violence within your hometown. Should the Philippine government begin giving travel advisories in opposition to vacationing in Ft Lauderdale, Orlando and Daytona Seashore, because of murders within South Miami? What about shunning visit Chicago and various other major American along with Canadian cities due to drug trafficking and also violence in as well as near public property developments?

Statistics of homicides every 100, 000 per capita within the 20 most densely populated cities inside Americas, recently published through the United Nations Place of work on Drugs and also Crime, indicate that you're prone to be a sufferer of homicide within Detroit, Washington and Chi town, than in South america City. Mexico City ranks on the same as Houston, with Philadelphia, Miami and San fran ranking close powering. It's time in order to rethink unfounded worries and do your own personal research before outright discounting happen to be a Mexico vacationer destination.




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