We separate fact from fiction when it comes to México travel
Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, México
Article from Los Cabos Magazine, Issue #26, July 2011.
By Ashley Alvarado
Try a simple Google search for the terms México, travel, and safety, and you’re presented with more than 178 million results that range from the U.S. State Department’s April travel warning to endless newspaper reports on cartels and violent attacks. In this age of 24-hour news cycles, it’s hard to escape the blaring headlines and sound bites that paint a picture of a lawless country teeming with violence and corruption. Wading through this sea of mixed and misleading messages can be overwhelming and confusing, so we spoke with travel experts, government officials, and local agencies and consulted endless reports to help you separate fact from fiction when it comes to Los Cabos travel.
Fact or Fiction? The U.S. government says not to vacation in México. Fiction! On April 22, the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning to citizens visiting or living in México, urging them “to defer nonessential travel to the states of Tamaulipas and Michoacán, and to parts of the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, and Jalisco.” It notes, “Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors to major tourist destinations. Resort areas and tourist destinations in México generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes.”
And, in May, Lonely Planet travel editor Robert Reid took to CNN to personally vouch for Mexican safety, highlighting its security as a travel destination. He wrote, “We tend to lump all of México—a country the size of Western Europe—together…Yet it's in the 17 of 31 states not named in the newly expanded warnings where you'll find the most rewarding destinations.” The warning made no mention of Los Cabos or Baja California Sur, the state in which it is located.
Fact or Fiction? Travelers should leave behind jewelry, fancy belongings when traveling to Los Cabos. Fiction! While on my way to Los Cabos recently, a fellow passenger confessed she’d left behind her big, sparkly engagement ring because of fears it’d be stolen in Los Cabos. She had heard reports of violence in México and didn’t want to lose her most precious possession. But, as Gonzalo Franyutti, president of the Los Cabos Convention & Visitors Bureau, says, “Los Cabos remains unaffected by those incidents of violent crime.” An April article in the San Francisco Chronicle stated, “In a classic case of guilt by association, tourists have avoided the southern half of the Baja peninsula in droves because Tijuana—900 miles away in Baja California (Norte)—was the first flash point when [President] Calderón upset the drug cartels' equilibrium. In fact, Baja Sur has been barely touched.” For context, we can look at México’s database of drug-related homicides, which was released in January. While California has a homicide rate of 5.3 per 100,000 people, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, Baja California Sur, the state the encompasses Los Cabos, had only 2.98 drug-related homicides per 100,000 (the fifth-lowest rate in México).
Fact or Fiction? It’s up to tourists to stay safe. Fiction! There’s no evidence that drug cartels are targeting tourists now more than in the past. Nevertheless travelers should take responsibility for their safety. Have common sense. As the Chronicle article smartly points out, “you're more likely to perish in a tequila-fueled Jet Ski mishap than at a homicidal drug trafficker's hands.”
Fact or Fiction? México’s government is making the violence worse, not better. Fiction! Los Cabos—and cities across México—have implemented concrete initiatives to protect travelers and residents, including but not limited to the deployment of additional police officers to enforce speed limits and conduct Breathalyzer tests, hiring English-speaking tourism officials to provide assistance, and employing additional lifeguards to patrol beaches. Local government has been working since 2008 to overhaul the public safety policy and technology system. Police commandant Daniel Salvador Rodríguez Cortes says, “We perform constant monitoring. There is good coordination between the [agencies] to react quickly to an emergency in any area. We track every suspicious person who could be a nuisance or threat to tourists or anyone. And when tourists come visit us from cruise ships, we put officers in strategic points for added security, working in collaboration with the Navy and Port Authority.” The newly elected governor, Marco Covarrubias Villaseñor, adds, “You can be assured that security is my top priority. Municipal and state agencies work closely together to oversee the safety and comfort of all visitors.”
As editor of Los Cabos Magazine, I clearly have a vested interest in promoting the region as a safe destination. But even more than that I want to portray Los Cabos as it is. Crime happens here. It happens everywhere. In April, a shooting outside a local resort left one man dead and shocked a community unused to violence. Were there not shock, that would be reason for concern. The important thing is to put everything in context. Despite this incident, the crime rate here is still significantly lower than in other sections of the world, including popular destinations like California and Florida.
And should you encounter any trouble, there are resources at your disposal. The U.S. consular agency helps Americans dealing with legal, medical, or financial issues while abroad and in Cabo San Lucas is located on Boulevard Marina. It can be reached at (624) 143-3566. The tourist police are often spotted walking around the marina and down the street. In case of an emergency, they can be reached on the phone by dialing 0-6-6.
“We perform constant monitoring. There is good coordination between the [agencies] to react quickly to an emergency in any area. We track every suspicious person who could be a nuisance or threat to tourists or anyone. And when tourists come visit us from cruise ships, we put officers in strategic points for added security, working in collaboration with the Navy and Port Authority.”
Daniel Salvador Rodríguez Cortes, Police Comandante
