President Lpez Obrador has doubled down on use of the military for public security, vastly expanding the scope of its activities and supplanting civilian law enforcement. #31 out of 78 in 2021. I have been back many times, sometimes alone, with my young children and with friends. A 2017 law made it illegal to use confessions obtained through torture as evidence at criminal trials. Elsewhere, same-sex couples must petition for an injunction (amparo) to be allowed to marry. Disappearance 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. Mexicos asylum system is severely overstretched. 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. However, after the Sinaloa Cartels Joaquin El Chapo Guzman was arrested in 2014, re-arrested in 2016, and finally extradited to the United States in 2017, a power vacuum was created within the Sinaloa Cartel, resulting in an accompanying increase in violence between rival factions seeking new territory and influence. In reality, Mexico is as safe as the United States. The area of Yucatan is built for tourists and it is safe for that reason. Vast illicit fortunes have been made from the drug conflict tearing Jalisco, and Mexico, apart. Lyft, meanwhile, released its first ever safety report in October 2021, disclosing that it received 4,158 reports of sexual assault on its platform from 2017 to 2019. Every night I cant sleep, thinking about what they did to him, she sobbed. The areas proximity to two Pacific ports, Manzanillo and Lzaro Crdenas through which precursor chemicals are smuggled in from China has made it a strategic location. The report further notes that safety and peacefulness have decreased eleven of the past fourteen years. This project is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The previous high had been on 20 April, when 114 homicides took place.. For a complete crime and safety report for all of Mexico please visit El Crimen. Many human rights defenders called her appointment unconstitutional, saying that Piedra Ibarra, a former senior member of the presidents party, is too close to the administration to be autonomous and apolitical. While some of the top leaders of the powerful cartels have been arrested or killed in recent years, the result has not been a drop in crime, as officials had hoped. 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. 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. From major cities to out-of-the-way hamlets, Mexico is the neighbor you should want to get to know. In 2019, journalists registered 609 threats, attacks, or other forms of aggressionreportedly the highest year on record. 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. We found them wrapped in plastic sheets, said Guadalupe Aguilar, a local human rights activist, as she stood beside the shallow grave. You are also agreeing to our, improve U.S.-Mexico cooperation on security and rule of law issues. I had fallen in love with Mexico, and returned soon afterward (1981). El Traicionero, it read. Nearby places of interest include Progreso, Dzibilchaltn, Uxmal (and the Ruta Puuc), the Grutas de Loltn, Chichn Itz (2 hrs by bus), and various beautiful cenotes. You should never let your guard down when traveling to such places. Robberies and muggings are on the rise in certain areas.Even so, tourist areas are generally safe during the daytime, as is most of the country.If you stay at a resort in atourist area, your risk is very low.If you are out at night by yourself in a city, your risk increases dramatically, just as it would in the United States. If people see you are trying to speak their language, they are more likely to offer to help you. It is severely restricted elsewhere. The do not travel designation is because of increased violence, drug cartel activity, and Covid-19. Yes, the number of homicides in Mexico has been on the rise since 2014. Before being deported to their countries of origin, most people detained by the National Guard are sent to immigration detention centers, where people have complained of crowded and unsanitary conditions. 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. Too touristy for my taste. U.S. Consulate General Matamoros, Mexico E-mail Website: U.S. Consulate General Matamoros State Department - Consular Affairs 888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444 Mexico Country Information As with journalists, violence against human rights defenders is rarely investigated or prosecuted. In the face of uninvestigated violence, many journalists self-censor. In May 2020, the president formally deployed the military to assist the National Guard in civilian law enforcement. Each Wednesday, desperate mothers, wives, sisters and daughters gather outside the citys forensic institute seeking news of loved ones. 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. 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. Murders per thousand are higher in Mexico, but gun violence is less prevalent in Mexico. In 2012, President Enrique Pea Nieto revised the Calderon governments strategy, shifting efforts away from violent exchanges and toward improving law enforcement capacity and supporting public safety. 4. As a side note, for those that are gamers, you probably know that Forza Horizon 5 is based in Mexico and that game is so beautiful just as Mexico is. Since 2008, the US has allocated more than US$3.1 billion in aid via the Mrida Initiative to help Mexico combat organized crime and drug trafficking. In June 2021, OHCHR reported continuing torture, ill-treatment, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary detentions. Youre afraid to go out at night. Unlike El Chapo, who sought Sean Penns help to turn his criminal life into a Hollywood blockbuster, El Mencho prefers the shadows. Mexican soldiers stand guard while workers of the Mexican state-owned oil company Pemex and local firefighters work to control a fire believed to have been started in a pipeline due to fuel-theft activity in Tlajmulco, Mexico on April 3, 2018. Mexico crime rate & statistics for 2020 was 28.37, a 1.27% decline from 2019. This whole Narco stuff is a problem but where Ive been that being a small town in Jalisco called San Juan De Los Lagos, Its pretty safe, people in Mexico are nice too and will help you if needed. U.S. Department of State - United States Department of State A 2018 reform intended to give prosecutors increased independence has not been properly implemented, local human rights and rule-of-law groups report. According to U.S. Govt reports, there is no evidence of foreign terror groups having a base in Mexico or working with drug cartels.There have been very few incidents of terrorism in recent years and those were isolated cases.While terrorism could happen anywhere, there seems to be little risk of it happening in Mexico. Sept. 27 . 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. Violent crime dropped 5%, from 8.2 incidents per 1,000 to 7.8. Here, we take a brief look at some of the defining numbers from this year's report: The plaza grande (central square) is historic and beautiful. When it is available, its safer than public transportation. 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. This is all about organized crime, said Aguilar, who spends her life locating and excavating Mexicos 21st-century killing fields in search of the victims. From January 2019 to March 2020, the administration of US President Donald Trumpwith the cooperation of the Lpez Obrador administrationsent an estimated 66,000 non-Mexicans who were seeking asylum in the US to await the outcome of their claims in Mexico under the Remain in Mexico program. It wont kill you, but it will make you very sick for a day or two. Mrida has always had a reputation for being a very safe city and, while not as safe as it was when I arrived 40 years ago, what city IS? I wouldnt do it. 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. Guadalupe Ayala embraces her daughter-in-law Carla Flores Salazar during a protest in Guadalajara. Join our Travel Advice & Support FB Group. Mexico has relied heavily on the military for drug control and to fight organized crime, leading to widespread human rights violations. Merida is a large Yucatan city that is often overlooked by American tourists. Approximately two-thirds of homicides were estimated to be connected to organized crime in 2021. If you go to Mexico, you might get your head cut off. This is due to improved security measures. I spent three months in Mexico in 1982 and was married on Isla Mujeres. A 2019 study by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights documented the Mechanisms problems in coordinating protective measures, providing resources, and establishing clear procedures. The criminal justice system routinely fails to provide justice to victims of violent crimes and human rights violations. SCAMS? In November 2019, the UN Human Rights Committee expressed concern about reports of extrajudicial killings by the military and police, and impunity for such cases. The states of Aguascalientes, Campeche and Coahuila also are well below the national average and have homicide rates similar to that of Uruguay. With a constituency of 4,600 U.S. companies and other organizations with . Mexico is one of Latin America's most important security markets due to its size, leading industries, development, and total demand. Its not that bad last time i went was when i was real little. And some parts of Mexico . As a result, Mexico has one of the lowest rates of Covid-19 testingand highest rates of positive test resultsin the world. Rival gangs battle for territory and over control of lucrative smuggling routes and often use gruesome tactics such as hanging bodies from bridges and decapitations to spread terror and fear. The U.S. Government has issued a do not travel designation for Mazatln, Acapulco, Matamoros, and Nuevo Laredo. 2023 BBC. The population figures are based on the 2010 Census by Manzana. Country Summary: Violent crime - such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery - is widespread and common in Mexico. It truly breaks my heart to see what has happened over the past 42 years. Violent crime is a serious concern. 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. The 2021 election cycle has been the most dangerous in recent years, with 782 acts of violence against incumbents and challengers alike, edging out the 774 violent acts recorded in 2018, according to a regularly updated report on political violence in Mexico by risk analysis group, Etellekt. In my opinion, Mexico is one of the most beautiful countries in the entire world. 20 Jul 2022. pdf. 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. Globally, it ranks at number 19 in the list of countries with the highest . 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. Public transportation and taxis are safe, but nothing beats Uber as far as safety goes. Thank you for your reviews and information. 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. After winning the election and assuming office in December 2018, AMLO announced the creation of a new National Guard (a hybrid civilian police and military force) to fight cartels.