Recent crime in Mexico

[rwl3]

Hi,

I light of this article, I thought that maybe it would be safer to stay on the Princess arranged tours, rather than venture out on our own? What do you think?

 

 

Crime, unrest hurting tourism in Mexico

Posted 8/4/2006 10:13 AM ETE-mail | Save | Print | Subscribe to stories like this <IMG height=14 alt="Subscribe to stories like this" width=36 align=absMiddle border=0>

 

 

By Mark Stevenson, Associated Press Writer

MEXICO CITY — A human head washes up on an Acapulco beach. Protesters hassle visitors at makeshift checkpoints in the colonial city of Oaxaca. And in Mexico City, leftist demonstrators turn the tourist draws of Reforma Avenue and the Zocalo plaza into sprawling, ragtag protest camps.

Growing political unrest and drug violence are making foreigners think twice about visiting Mexico, where the $11.8 billion tourism industry is the country's third-largest legal source of income, after oil and remittances from migrants in the United States.

Mexico has been struggling since last fall, when Hurricane Wilma hit the country's biggest tourism moneymaker, Cancun.

No tourists have been reported hurt in Mexico City, Oaxaca or Acapulco, but hotels are being hit by cancellations of thousands of reservations.

In Mexico City alone, hotels, restaurants and stores are losing $23 million a day, according to the city's Commerce, Services and Tourism Chamber. Some businesses have threatened to stop paying taxes unless the government cracks down on the demonstrations.

Protesters in Oaxaca, claiming fraud in the state gubernatorial race, have taken over the picturesque downtown to pressure Gov. Ulises Ruiz to step down. They forced the cancellation of an ethnic festival, and tourists must pass through checkpoints to reach the arch-ringed main plaza.

Protesters want to use the unrest to "force the population that relies on tourism to pressure the government," said Jose Escobar, head of the Oaxaca employers' federation.

In the Pacific resort of Acapulco, drug gangs are battling for control of lucrative smuggling and sales routes. Human heads have been dumped in front of government offices and in the glittering resort's bay. There have been gun battles on the streets .

In Mexico City, supporters of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador have taken over streets to press election officials for a re-count in the disputed July 2 presidential elections.

And tourism officials say things could get worse.

"If this goes on for a week or 10 days more, some hotels are going to be in a desperate situation," said Carlos Mackinlay, director of Mexico City tourism promotion.

Double-decker buses no longer tour the tree-lined Reforma, which connects the city's Chapultepec Park to the historic center but is now closed to traffic. Museums, restaurants and hotels stand largely empty.

Tourists who brave the demonstrations must skirt rickety gas cookers and duck under ropes holding up tarps as they hike back to their hotels. Mayor Alejandro Encinas said Thursday that city officials would guarantee access to hotels.

For now, helmetless motorcycle "taxi" drivers offer white-knuckle, 15-peso ($1.35) rides on the backs of their bikes, navigating past lawn chairs, cots and tents.

Korean businesswoman Sophia Noh, 28, paced outside the blockaded stock exchange building Thursday, wondering how she was going to get in for a meeting.

"This has made things harder," Noh said. "I think both sides should begin to negotiate."

Across the street, 60-year-old tourist Elvira Gotuzzo of Buenos Aires, was trying to rent a car to get out of town. She and her family were too scared to sightsee in the city's 7-century-old downtown, which is occupied by demonstrators in ragged tents.

"This is a crime," Gotuzzo said. "It's such a shame!"

Despite growing calls from President Vicente Fox and even Lopez Obrador's own supporters, city officials who are allied with the leftist candidate have refused to take action.

In Mexico City's financial and cultural heart, loudspeakers blare salsa music and harangues about alleged vote fraud.

The protesters claim the presidential election was tainted by fraud, giving conservative Felipe Calderon a narrow lead. The case is before an electoral tribunal, which has until Sept. 6 to declare a president-elect or annul the election.

Things aren't likely to improve soon.

"This is only the first step," said protester Fernando Martinez, helping block a downtown office building. "Next, we're going after the airports."

[MSN-Travelers]

Interesting article. It would be easy to write the same story and substitute Los Angeles for Acapulco and Washington D.C for Mexico City. Both cities are battle grounds for the drug trade with rival gangs fighting for control. Political unrest and demonstrations are an every day occurrence in D.C.

 

The cruise ship industry has demonstrated its ability to monitor the local conditions at each port-o-call. When things get too dangerous for their passengers to leave the ship, the industry does by-pass the port. The truth of the matter is, you are no safer on a ship’s excursion than you would be by going on your own “with an established, independent, tour operator” or traveling independently to the same locations that all the other tourists go. It’s the people that wander off the beaten path that run the risk of having something happen and that holds true in your own home town as it does in any town or city that is foreign to you (no matter what the county is).

 

I always do a little research on every destination that my family travels. I know what and where the tourist attractions are. I get a map of the area, know where we should be and know how much it should cost to travel from place-to-place by taxi. I often use a local tour guide the first time I go someplace and the language barrier is likely to be a problem. After that, we become increasingly independent as we become more familiar with the destination.

 

I would not let a news report of unrest someplace in a country as large as Mexico make me a prisoner of the ship nor would I allow it to lock me into high priced ship’s excursions.

 

Here is an example of the type information that is available out there. Do a little research and enjoy your time ashore.

 

http://www.vallarta-info.com/

[melika091900]

thats an interesting article... i would say that...it could happen anywhere, and i would say that every time weve been to mexico we have felt totally safe...

as long as your with people i would say it would be ok.

acapulco ive been hearing alot of negative things about. in my opinion i would go on a ship sponsored tour there ... but the other ports. like PV, cabo, mazatlan, manzanillo, we have felt the safest there for sure.

 

 

take care and have a great cruise .

melissa

[gregkn]

I really enjoy reading the info given by msn-travellers.....they do know their stuff reagrding the Pacific Riviera, however, I just want to stress something here. I understand that there are very good independant tour companies in these ports that are cheaper than the ships tours and in most cases, just as safe......however, they are independant because they choose not to go on the tour program with the cruise lines.

 

Here's the difference. When a tour company joins the program, they have to guarantee medical expenses for any guest who might be injured during the activity of the tours. I have often been told horror stories by guests injured on an independant tour, then just dropped off at a medical facility and left there. The cost can be enormous for you. I'm not saying this happens with all independants, but it does happen.

 

Again, there are excellent independant contractors in the ports, but if you're going to go it alone with one of these companies, please find out about insurance should you get injured. Accidents happen.....I would hate for someone to find themselves on their own in a foreign country.

 

Another little tip......if you're just going to go out on your own exploring, as mentioned above, don't stray off the beaten path. I live in Puerto Vallarta and I consider it safe everywhere, but don't carry purses with valuables or bulky wallets.....lastly, look at the front of your port information before you leave the ship and make a note of the ship's agent (name and phone number), just in case. It will be invaluable if you need it.

 

Enjoy Mexico and it's people.

 

Greg Kneale.

[star gazer]

Greg Kneale,

Excellent post about independent tour operators, straying off the beaten path and making a note of the ship's agent with phone number.

[Desertbelle]

We have been to the Mexican Riviera several times and once more coming up in November, and I have never felt unsafe in Mexico.

 

I have a cute story to tell.

 

I am a midwife. About 2 years ago I had a lovely Mexican couple coming to me to have their baby. They were from Mazatlan. We chatted some about Mexico from time to time.

 

One day they were telling me that they planned to drive home to Mazatlan for the holidays. I told them I had read on the internet and heard from people that it's very dangerous to drive in Mexico. That there were bandits that rob people and gangs that attack people. They laughed. He told me that the highways, mostly toll roads, were lovely, and that there weren't bandits.

 

Then she told me that her mother was VERY nervous for them living in the US. Her mother had read and heard so many terrible things about crime in the US and that they should be very careful, but especially they should not let their children go to a US high school because they had shootings there all the time!! Now it was my turn to laugh. Though we have had occasional high school shootings in the US, we don't usually think of high school as being a dangerous place for our kids to be, and we send them off to school each day.

 

Goes to show you how news reports have affected our preception of our world.