Comments on: Mexico Murder Rate Reality Check

By: Karen Alvarez

Karen Alvarez — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:19:34 +0000

A native Canadian, I have lived in Mexico for over 45 years now – and I have been a victim of more crime during my travels to different cities of the U.S. than I have in Mexico.
I am in the travel business – catering to foreign (mainly U.S. and Canadian) specialized cultural groups travelling anywhere within the Mexican Republic where they can enjoy infinitely more of cultural interest, museums, arts & crafts, history, arqueology, architecture, etc etc than anywhere else in North America. Why this prolonged barrage of “hate” from principally the American media reporters? It’s driving me nuts how gullible and susceptible people are to all the yellow journalism going on out there. Anyone would think we live “dodging bullets” down here. That is the farthest thing from the truth.
In Mexico City for instance, along the entire touristic routes of the city, there is even a special touristic police force assigned for the protection of tourists – where they walk around during the day or night safely and enjoying the exciting atmosphere prevalent in the city.

I can’t even figure out why Mexico is taking a far more prominent role in combating the drugs than the U.S. where the market comes from. Why aren’t the Americans fighting their own drug cartels instead of leaving all the responsability to the Mexican side of the border?

Be sure and watch the positive media coverage that will be going on during the World Soccer Cup starting this Friday, Jun. 11. Seeing is believing.
Karen alvarez

By: Cary

Cary — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 02:05:06 +0000

I don’t know about stats, I will however give you my point of view based of my experience…I have lived in Mexico for 42 years, I have travelled the country from north to south, by thumb, bus, car and plane. I moved from Mexico City to Cancún 21 years ago because I felt things were getting dangerous and that this wasn’t the place to bring up a family, when you know the victims of volent robbery and kidnapping, it’s getting closer to you. I am now moving my family to Canada because now it’s here in Cancún and it’s worse than you can imagine, the Zetas have control and extortions and kidnapping are a constant fear, we know many victims of this.
I doubt the stats for Mexico are accurate, do you really believe they keep track of things the same way they do in the US ? I can only imagine how many murders aren’t even registered.

Yes, Mexico has lived through hell many times and has survived and will continue to survive…Emiliano Zapata was a “bandido” and the people wrote songs “corridos” about him and followed him to overthrow an abusive government…Mexican stats say that 50% of the population lives in poverty to extreme poverty, do you know who the “corridos” are about now ????

Peace

Cary

By: Pedro

Pedro — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 17:39:03 +0000

Ronald: the Mexican murder rate includes the killings between gang members, which stands for several thousands a year! If you filter away the killings between the gangs, the Mexican murder rate drops significantly! Actually, based on numbers I found on the Internet and some mathematics, I got a murder rate below 2 per 100,000! (source: numbers found on Milenio, Nationmaster, Inegi)

By the way, did you know that in the US, the amount of deaths in traffic accidents is 11.08 per 100,000? Just a little less than the murder rate in Mexico! So if you are so worried about your safety, I suggest not driving a car anymore (source: dot.gov)

By the way, the 4.2 per 100,000 murder rate in the US (rank 24!), is very high if you compare it to other industrialized countries such as Europe or Japan. Nevertheless, Europeans still visit the US and do not put a travel warning against the US!!!

By: Some interesting (but tragic) accounts - Page 2 : Cancun

Some interesting (but tragic) accounts - Page 2 : Cancun — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 01:49:01 +0000

[...] those kind of people, so I dont even try. Have just spent a good hour reading through this site: Mexico Murder Rate Reality Check | The Truth About Mexico Some really great articles and balanced discussion in the comments. __________________ USA [...]

By: Stan Gabruk

Stan Gabruk — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:28:51 +0000

I own a business in Puerto Vallarta, after retiring from the field of engineering in the United States. I lived in California, Los Angles for my whole life. It truely surprises me that people are making the deal out of Mexico. Juarez, Tijuan, El Paso, Nogales, border towns have always been like this, they will always be like this and to report these incidents as if this is a new situation is comical. CNN today did stories on the Blood Bath in Mexico… Not Juarez, Mexico!

Once you are outside of these areas, the crime is minimal as compared to what would be normal per captita in Los Angeles for example…. But the deal is this, People are not being killed in the streets with Machetes or bombs or guns, etc.

Of the 120 million mexicans in Mexico, 60 million visitors from North America come to this country yearly. Of those deaths against tourist, the numbers are very, very low…. I am not defending these deaths or behaviors, but like I said, I lived in Los Angeles and I feel safer on the streets in Puerto Vallarta at night than I ever felt on the hard life streets of L.A.

Look to sites like this for the read deal in the Mexican community….

I love Mexico, I wish the USA Press and Govt. would just leave the country alone and let them handle the business at hand. Mexico is doing it’s best to erradicate this problem, the united states needs to recognize this for what it iis, PROGRESS. If the drug cartels were not threatened, the deaths would down and everyone would be fine… But the cartels are pushing back, filling spots left open by raids, and expanding territories with expanding demand.

Stop the demand, stop the problem. If the problem can’t be fixed, it needs to be managed, if it can’t be fixed or Managed, then society has some interesting choices in front of it. But who would have ever imagined the influx of drungs into the American Psyche or lifestyle would ever get to this point. The North American society is addicted as a whole and when there is an addiction, even with senators and congressman going it rehab, how can you expect results.

You, Your neighbor, your friends, you are the drug problem. You users are the motivation of easy money buy less than educated slackers preying off those with an illegal desire to be in an altered drug induced state and who are we as straight american / mexican citizens to want to deny this overwhelming demand as they cry about the problem.

Kill the market, Kill the problem

Stan

By: jfk

jfk — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:39:10 +0000

I just returned from Mazatlan and was there for 10 days. There was a police attack on drug dealers, we were told small time dealers, and the police shot and killed 2 of them just minutes from downtown. That night the drug cartel retaliated and killed 3 cops downtown just a couple of blocks away from the golden zone. Also there was an attempted robbery across the street from our resort in a campground resort in which someone was shot in the leg. The city of Mazatlan is approximately a million people. The attack of drug dealers and the cops has alot to do with the fact that for years the police was corrupt and working with alot of the cartels and now the new president in Mexico is really taking the fight to them. So in my opinion living in Mazatlan would be no different than any million resident city in the US, in fact I feel safer there than New Orleans which has less than 500,000 people. Don’t live in N.O. but was on high alert the whole week there back in Nov. and heard gun fire every night.
James

By: The Murder and War Death Index

The Murder and War Death Index — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:04:19 +0000

Hi Denise. Juarez. (like TJ), is much more violent than US cities but you’re right, the violence is heavily weighted towards those involved. Street robberies and general crime involving unorganised delinquents that could target innocent people makes up a bigger percetntage of US cities murders. Not to say no-one innocent has died in Mex. though!

Bud’s 100% spot on btw. Perfect methodology.

By: Denise

Denise — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:15:04 +0000

I’ve been down to Juarez every year for the last 4 years to build houses for some poor families through my church. Despite being in the “most dangerous city of the world”, I’ve always felt safe. We’re not out at night, stay away from “bad” places, etc. In the areas we’re in, it’s a very normal experience…not the war zone shown on TV. In the last 2 years, we do see more of the military presence, some patrol vehicles driving around and such.
My question for you all is do you know or have any statistics that show what the murder rate is for Juarez when you take out the drug related murders? My experience has been that the majority of the violence is directed at competing cartels. I’d like to find some statistics that might help show it’s not a huge issue for us if we’re not out at night and aren’t involved in or around the drug/cartel stuff. It might be helpful when dealing with people who are scared to go down there.
Thanks.

By: The truth about crime in Mexico « Ren Ellis – San Miguel de Allende – Mexico – Fashion

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:29:01 +0000

[...] MWDI: Tijuana (and Rio) is substantially more dangerous … [...]

By: MWDI

MWDI — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 23:05:12 +0000

Tijuana (and Rio) is substantially more dangerous than American cities. A scientific critique will show it doesn’t pass the giggle test.

Mexico’s murder rates’ come down almost evry year which is a surprise looking at the drug cartel violence from the mid-90’s. But it is down.