Posted by: pamela in MyBlog on Mar 20, 2009
Yucatán - A safe and friendly place to vacation this year!
There has been a lot of media coverage recently about violence in México. It is difficult for us in Yucatán, as the negative image can be very powerful. Most of the violence you hear about is related to drug cartels. The irony is that the increased violence is because the Mexican government is actually making headway on the drug problem. The drug cartels feel less secure and are fighting more between themselves for drug traffic territory control.
What we always tell nervous travelers is that the violence is very limited to the people directly involved in the distribution of drugs or controlling the drug traffic. So as a visitor you would be totally outside the realm of violence. Our president, Felipe Calderón, is asking the US government for assistance, and is hopeful that the new administration will be responsive. By the way, if you pass through military checkpoints on the highway, they are a good thing, don't worry, they are there for your safety. They are very polite and really trying to prevent the traffic of drugs and arms.
The U.S. State Department's most recent Travel Alert emphasizes the U.S.-Mexican border areas as the highest risk. Yucatán is far from those cities. Use the same common sense you would use at home or anywhere else: don't wander empty streets late at night, and avoid isolated areas.
Take advantage of the strong US and Canadian dollars, and the Euro, and come visit Yucatán! You'll be glad you did.
Juanita Stein, Editor