Why are so many people badmouthing Mexico?

You can see it in some newspaper every week. Articles about violence in Mexico. Specifically journalists and reporters seem to look for something more sensational than it is when writing about this country. They seem to think that, because the area along the US border is (indeed) suffering from violence caused by the Mexican AND US drug cartels, the situation is the same everywhere in Mexico. Now, Mexico is a BIG country. That particular area where bad things happen is only 5% of the area that we call Mexico.
 

Bad news intentionally?

Not long ago, a Canadian woman crashed with her scooter while on vacation in Playa del Carmen. The news was brought with the headline: “Calgary woman KILLED in Mexico.” The author of this article clearly had one thing in mind: A headline that sparks fear about Mexico.

In 2012, another Canadian woman was beaten up in an elevator, at a Mazatlan resort. This became front page news. What SHOULD have been the news is that this woman entered the elevator butt NAKED in the middle of the night. What the heck was she doing there naked? She encountered some Mexican drunk who obviously saw this as an opportunity. Now, beating up any person is absolutely unacceptable, but wasn’t there a provocative factor at play as well? I mean, running around naked at a Mexican resort in the middle of the night is not really ‘usual’ behaviour or a safe thing to do anywhere right? Still the “news” was brought as ‘Mexican resorts unsafe’, ‘Beaten up in Mexico’ and ‘Violence in Mexico’. While this story unfolded on Canadian newspaper front pages over a couple of days, my wife and I counted FOUR murders in Calgary that week because of gang related violence. That news didn’t even reach page seven…
 

Stop painting Mexico as an unsafe vacation destination!

I don’t mean to say that violence doesn’t exist in Mexico and that everything is fine and dandy there. OF COURSE there is violence. Of course robberies and murders happen in Mexico. THE THING IS: THAT HAPPENS ALSO IN THE US AND IN CANADA! My point is that the negativity around Mexico’s image, created by people who don’t know Mexico at all, is hurting tourism, labour and the development of a country on the rise and willing to do things better. A country with genuinely friendly people who want to move ahead. Be aware: Mexico is NOT a third world country anymore!

Stay away from the Mexican communities close to the American border. INDEED – these places are unsafe and have a track record for robbery and worse. Don’t travel by car through these areas, that’s just plain stupid. You should avoid these unsafe areas as you avoid the unsafe areas like in the town you live currently! YES – these places exist in your home-town too, please don’t deny it. Violence is everywhere. Recently, someone named Canada/Alberta’s capital Edmonton – Deadmonton -, because of an obvious reason: too many people murdered because of local criminality. It’s the city with the most annual murders on record for three consecutive years. I didn’t see any article in the newspapers though saying: Do not travel to Canada!

To all the ‘news’ people: STOP painting Mexico as an unsafe vacation destination please! Go there yourself first before you write any unjustified opinions. Experience Mexico as it really is: vibrant, promising, friendly, colourful and most of all: SAFE.

What’s YOUR opinion about safety in Mexico?