Its distribution is opaque and discretionary. Mexico Today is brought to you by REFORMA, Mexicos leading and most trusted news organization. Low turnout invalidated the results. State-specific restrictions are included in the individual state advisories below. However, personnel are advised to exercise increased situational awareness after dark in downtown areas of Cancun, Tulum, and Playa del Carmen, and to remain in well-lit pedestrian streets and tourist zones. Causes of failure include corruption, inadequate training and resources, and complicity of prosecutors and public defenders with criminals and other abusive officials. Read all the Order from Chaos content, Nonstate armed actors and illicit economies in 2022, declined by 3.6% from the previous year to 33,308, U.S.-Mexico Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health, and Safe Communities, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Drug Trafficking & Counter-Narcotics Policy, The nexus between the illicit narcotics trade and corruption, The travails of the US-Mexico High-Level Security Dialogue, Criminal violence, politics, and state capture in Michoacn, Pakistan: Five major issues to watch in 2023, Anti-democratic sentiment boils over in Brazil. A socio-economic component to enable local populations access to legal income is important, though not a replacement for good policing. Use toll roads when possible and avoid driving alone or at night. Under the Lpez Obrador administration, serious gaps remain in protecting the rights of people with disabilities. In September, the Secretary of Defense announced that only military policeno civilian prosecutorswere investigating. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for Mexico, indicating a high level of Covid in the country. In 2019, the Supreme Court issued a similar ruling arising from a case in Jalisco. In its data collection, the government often merged statistics on forcibly disappeared persons with missing persons not suspected of being victims of forced disappearance, making it difficult to compile accurate statistics on the extent of the problem. From January through August 2021, Mexico received nearly 78,000 asylum applications but resolved just over 23,000. Forbes Magazine interviewed an FBI agent who worked in Mexico, and he said the country is safe if you use common sense. In recent years, there have been several clashes between rival criminal gangs in Cancn and surrounding areas. Official Mexico Crime Data. If you wish to remain on travel.state.gov, click the "cancel" message. U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE BUREAU of CONSULAR AFFAIRS, U.S. Citizen Services: From Mexico 800-681-9374 or 55-8526-2561. Lpez Obrador has cut budgets and personnel to many Mexican institutions and left them with minimal regulatory, oversight, and minimal capacities. Yucatan state Exercise Normal Precautions. Detained migrants have said they were not given masks or soap and were denied medical treatment when they had symptoms of Covid-19. Only 5.2 percent of crimes committed in Mexico are solved, the nongovernmental group Mxico Evala reports. Mexico's homicide rate has been rising every year since 2014 but it remains well below those of other countries worldwide. If a situation is fishy, walk away., Ranked: The 20 Happiest Countries In The World In 2022, Crime In America: Study Reveals The 10 Most Unsafe Cities (Its Not Where You Think). U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping. There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Tlaxcala state. And in December, the new U.S.-Mexico Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health and Safe Communities went into effect, replacing the Mrida Initiative that Lpez Obrador intensely disliked while his administration severely minimized U.S.-Mexico security cooperation. Exercise increased caution due to crime and kidnapping. There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Yucatan state, which include tourist areas in:Chichen Itza,Merida,Uxmal, andValladolid. Some provisions, including those that peg the severity of punishments for sexual offenses to the chastity of the victim, contradict international standards. Here is a list of Mexican states where travel is not advised at this time:. While the trend in homicide has improved in the last two years, Mexico's homicide rate remained near historically high levels in . That year, 45,500 crimes were registered . Jalisco Cartel Cashing in on Mexico's Illegal Cigarette Market. There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Mexico City. In November 2021, four American travelers were hurt in an attack in Cancun when gunmen opened fire on the beach. The 2022 outlook for both the rule of law and public safety in Mexico and meaningful U.S.-Mexico security cooperation remains bleak, writes Vanda Felbab-Brown as she discusses her findings. U.S. government employees may travel to other parts of Sonora state in compliance with the above restrictions, including tourist areas in: Hermosillo, Bahia de Kino, and Puerto Penasco. This website downloads, processes the data, merges it with population data, and presents it as easy to interpret crime rates. Mexico City (Ciudad de Mexico) Exercise Increased Caution. U.S. citizens are advised to adhere to restrictions on U.S. government employee travel. Police and prosecutors commonly use torture to obtain confessions. Self-styled militias, sometimes fronts for rival criminal groups, other times with great proclivity to slide into many facets of criminality, persist and proliferate, as the government looks on. . Just 3 in 10 New Mexicans feel safe calling New Mexico home, putting The Land of Enchantment in a tie with Louisiana for the state where people feel least safe overall. When travelling, keep an eye on your bags (which are safe enough in the luggage compartments underneath most buses). In August 2020, the Lpez Obrador government recognized the committees jurisdiction to consider cases from Mexico, allowing families of victims to submit cases to the committee once they have exhausted their legal options domestically. Most importantly, the force was conceived as a backup to the state police, not a first responder. A 2017 law made it illegal to use confessions obtained through torture as evidence at criminal trials. Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. Almost two-thirds (64 percent) reported physical violence at the time of arrest, including electric shocks, choking, and smothering. February 11, 2022. Do not display signs of wealth, such as wearing expensive watches or jewelry. Violent crime, extortion, and gang activity are widespread in Zacatecas state. Index; Crime Index: 68.49: Safety Index: 31.51: Crime rates in Mexico City, Mexico. But so do cities in the United States like St. Louis, Detroit, and New Orleans - which all rank higher than Mazatlan on the same list. Womens rights groups say femicide is likely under-reported. These include high-traffic tourism areas of border and coastal communities, such asTijuana,Ensenada, andRosarito. Yet the criminal groups capacities to hold turf often remains flimsy, with groups like CJNG brazenly seeking to conquer entire territories withdrone-mounted bombs, and groups like the Sinaloa Cartel taking over legal and illegal economies and politics in a more buttoned-down and less blatant manner, but no less systematically. Maintaining situational awareness of your surroundings and practicing good security precautions with your . Justice in Mexico releases 2021 Organized Crime and Violence in Mexico Report October 22, 2021 10/22/21- (written by rramos)- Justice in Mexico has released the third edition of Organized Crime and Violence in Mexico, coordinated by Laura Y. Caldern, Kimberly Heinle, Rita E. Kuckertz, Octavio Rodrguez Ferreira, and David A. Shirk. U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of Chihuahua, includingCopper Canyon. No wonder, the effective prosecution rate for homicides in Mexico continues to hover around 2%. The year started under the shadow of the brutal murders of the . Elsewhere, they have to live with sharing, like the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacin (CJNG) do in the fentanyl and meth precursor hub Lzaro Crdenas. Proof of address is required to receive the vaccine. EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) Juarez closed 2021 with 1,420 homicides - a 14 percent decrease over an even more violent 2020. Security Alert: U.S. Embassy Lima, Peru. Increased crime levels and reports of incidents lead the U.S. to review its guidance for travel to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. Avoid flashy clothes and jewelry., Traveling as a solo female in Mexico can be a rich experience when safety considerations are in place, says Ruuska. El Salvador 2020 Crime & Safety Report Author (s) U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security Date Published 2020 Length 8 pages Publication Series About Gangs, Crime and Violence Description This report details El Salvador's crime and safety reports. In 2019, a well-respected human rights defender was appointed to head the governments National Search Commission (CNB). No surprise, the U.S. State Department recently issued a chilling warning about travel to Mexico with a level 3 on a scale of 1 to 4, meaning reconsider travel. And some parts of Mexico where drug cartel violence is at its worst have long on a no-go list, with a level 4 no-go advisory. Instead of police reform, Lpez Obrador has intensified militarization of public life in Mexico not just in security, but also in the economic domain. The National Guard, like SEMAR and SEDENA, lacks an investigative authority. Criminal activity and violence may occur throughout the state. Most importantly, the force was conceived as a backup to the state police, not a first responder. When transiting, avoid public transport and hailing taxis on the street, and use app-based services or regulated taxi stands. Places with high homicide rates include the northern border cities of Tijuana and Ciudad Jurez, Ciudad Obregn in Sonora as well as Zamora and Uruapan in Michoacn. Travelers should remain on main highways and avoid remote locations. In one such program I encountered in Michoacn, for example, teenagers were paid by the government to receive training as hairdressers while the hairdressers were paid for the teaching. Baja California state Reconsider Travel. Officials and experts agree that the real number of Covid-19 infections and deaths is likely many times higher than the official count. MEXICO CITY The corpses of three people, dismembered and burned, were found in bags in Abasolo, in the state of Guanajuato, on Sept. 2. Darsha Philips reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Aug. 13, 2022. But the federal government has dramatically cut budgets to both and thus gutted the already often-inadequate local capacities, even though its own 2019 security strategy centered on relying on municipal police for security. Many human rights defenders called her appointment unconstitutional, saying that, as a former senior member of the presidents party, she is too close to the administration to be autonomous and apolitical. It might seem that 2022 is starting off with important positive news about the crime and security situation in Mexico. Organized crime activity including gun battles, murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, forced disappearances, extortion, and sexual assault is common along the northern border and in Ciudad Victoria. As my fieldwork showed, in Baja California Sur, Baja California, and Sinaloa, criminal groups, often the Sinaloa Cartel, are muscling their way into new economies, systematically seeking to dominate both legal and illegal fishing, fish processing, and seafood sales along the entire vertical supply chain. However, pursuit of justice remains elusive. Nine out of 10 killings were drug-related and more than a third of . So what is a traveler to do? Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, on par with war zones like Syria and Afghanistan in number of journalists killed, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders. In October 2021, following a CRPD committee recommendation, the government publicly apologized to a man with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities who had been imprisoned for four years although there was no evidence he had committed a crime and a judge had found him unfit to stand trial, leaving him without the opportunity to defend himself. Criminal activity and violence may occur throughout Nayarit state. Mexico has made the vaccine eligible by regions and age groups, from older to younger people. If separating from your travel group, send a friend your GPS location. There are high rates of harassment, sexual assaults and violence targeting women in Mexico, including in major cities like Mexico City and Guadalajara, says Ruuska. Mexicos foreign policy regarding human rights under the Lpez Obrador administration has been based on the principle of non-intervention. In June, Mexico criticized other countries in the region that had condemned the jailing of critics and opposition candidates in Nicaragua, saying that they were intervening in Nicaraguas internal affairs. There are no other restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Guanajuato state, which includes tourist areas in:San Miguel de Allende,Guanajuato City, andsurrounding areas. But the 2021 mid-terms showed to an unprecedented degree that the criminal groups are no longer satisfied to coopt elected officials. Climate change is expected to increase the severity of extreme weather events, requiring steps by the government to protect at-risk populations from their foreseeable harms, including food insecurity due to rising temperatures and droughts impacting crops. President Lpez Obrador has vastly expanded the scope of the military in public security, often supplanting civilian law enforcement. Quintana Roo state Exercise Increased Caution. The National Citizens' Observatory, a think tank, reported on June 27, 2013 that kidnappings in Mexico increased by 17 percent in the first quarter of 2013 compared with the last quarter of 2012. The government says soldiers only support migration officials. In general, Mexican people are friendly, fun-loving, helpful and openand curious of solo female travelers.. Free download. Do not walk alone at night, especially in unfamiliar neighborhoods, desolate areas or beaches. Travel Insurance That Covers Covid-19 For 2022. Amidst this systematic weakening of Mexicos institutions, the effort by him and his Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero to gut and reverse Mexicos judicial reforms toward an accusatorial system and weaken judicial independence are among the most detrimental. The Mexican government had reported a decline in kidnappings until it stopped publishing statistics on ths category of crime in April 2013. To various degrees, the criminal groups build political power by intimidating and bribing government officials, and obtain political capital with local populations by giving social handouts and organizing narco courts to arbitrate disputes. Areas of violent contestation, such as Zacatecas or San Luis Potos, can become almost anarchical with violence. Law enforcement actions to curb illegal deforestation drastically diminished in recent years. Victims are often held incommunicado at military bases or illegal detention sites. Legal and illegal fishermen and entire associations and industries feel they have no backup from the Mexican government to resist the narcos takeover. Violent crime and gang activity occur with increasing frequency in Veracruz, particularly in the center and south near Cordoba and Coatzacoalcos. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping. But the boys merely paid off or intimidated the hair salons into certifying the boys participation in the training without actually attending it. Travelers may also use Highways 1 and 8 to transit to and from the Mexicali Airport during daylight hours. Mexico endorsed the World Health Organizations Solidarity Call to Action for the Covid-19 Technology Access Pool, an initiative to realize equitable global access to COVID-19 health technologies through pooling of knowledge, intellectual property and data., Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people in close to 100 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice. Additionally, U.S. citizens have been the victims of both non-violent and violent crimes in tourist and non-tourist areas. Coming in at #43 on the world's 50 most dangerous cities list, Mazatlan does have its fair share of problems. In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that a lesbian couple from Aguascalientes state should be allowed to register a child born to one of the women as a child of both. Bystanders have been injured or killed in shooting incidents. And the state police forces can only investigate ordinary crime, not organized crime. The Mexico 2017 Crime and Safety Report for Mexico City by the US Department of State's Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) indicates that crimes such as armed robberies, kidnappings, car thefts, credit card fraud and residential theft are "daily concerns" (US 24 Feb. 2017). There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Chiapas state, which includes tourist areas in:Palenque, San Cristobal de las Casas,andTuxtla Gutierrez. Unlike the Federal Police which the Lpez Obrador administration dismantled, the National Guard is nominally supposed to be stationed in a locality permanently. Now they seek to influence with violence and money who can run and win to start with. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping. Criminal activity and violence may occur in any location, at any time, including in popular tourist destinations. There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in San Luis Potosi state. There is no real history of political unrest in the state. Mexico's foreign policy with regard to human rights under the Lpez Obrador . Some areas of Mexico have increased risk of crime and kidnapping. Introducing new standards and mask verification technology to prioritize health and safety in the face of COVID-19. The National Guard is led by military officers, trained by the military, and composed largely of military troops. Crime and violence are widespread in Michoacan state. The Lpez Obrador administration has failed to take many of the basic steps recommended by global health authorities to limit the spread of Covid-19. Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. In much of Michoacn, Guerrero, Tamaulipas, or Veracruz, local politics, economics, and much of peoples everyday life is arbitrated by the narcos. In October and November, I spent several weeks in various parts of Mexico researching the evolution of crime and security policies. While the attacks generally do not target foreigners, bystanders couldand have been affected, says Ruuska. Now they seek to influence with violence and money who can run and win to begin with. Elsewhere, same-sex couples must petition for an injunction (amparo) to be allowed to marry. Mexico endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration in May 2021. Instead of using force and judicial prosecution, Lpez Obrador seeks to reduce crime in Mexico through socio-economic anti-crime programs, part of his overall vastly popular redistribution strategy for Mexicos many poor and marginalized. As this and my upcoming Mexico Today OpEds will detail, the picture is not good. While most gang-related violence is targeted, violence perpetrated by criminal organizations can affect bystanders. Baja California Sur state Exercise Increased Caution. For the past two decades, criminal groups have violentlymeddled in Mexicos elections, particularly at the municipal and state level. It is best to ignore these advances or confrontations and walk away., Some of the most common places for harassment in Mexico include taxis and public transport. GUANAJUATO, Mexico This colonial city, with its Spanish architecture and cobblestone streets, has long beckoned Mexican . As with journalists, violence against human rights defenders is rarely investigated or prosecuted. Authorities have publicly acknowledged the real number is likely higher. And it ruled that medical staffs right to conscientiously object to performing abortions is subject to limits.
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