Yesterday the state of Texas issued a Mexico travel warning targeted at student spring breakers. It's all over the internet, in both English and Spanish (one reason I didn't bother posting on it). Really, it said nothing that the U.S. State Dept. didn't already say back on Feb. 8 when it published its own travel alert, which also generated some controversy and hard feelings (http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2012/02/us-issues-new-travel-alert-for-mexico.html). But the Texas alert annoyed the governor, and he's fighting back. No doubt because Cancún and Playa del Carmen are prominently featured on the no-go list.
Borge Angulo was attending an international travel fair in Berlin this week, but announced today that he'll head immediately to Texas, with planned stops in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. He hopes to meet with state officials and persuade them to withdraw or modify the travel warning.
"We reject this alert, not only because the entire Yucatán peninsula and the state of Quintana Roo are among the safest areas of the country, but because no North American has been harmed in a Q.R. tourist destination." [Note: That claim by Borge is flat wrong. The links below discuss two recent cases, one in 2010 and the other in January, which prove the contrary. There may well be other less severe, or unreported, criminal cases].
Borge Angulo also noted in a statement today that Cancún and Playa del Carmen are statistically far safer than places like "Chicago, Washington, Miami, Laredo and Houston." Why the governor stuck Laredo, Texas in that list is unclear, but I don't doubt the validity of his argument. And the weather's nicer here, too . . .
Mexico calls latest U.S. travel warning "ridiculous": http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2012/02/latest-us-travel-alert-is-ridiculous.html.
Los Pelones flourish in Quintana Roo: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2012/03/los-pelones-executions-continue-in-qr.html#more.
In Cancún, Los Zetas deliver drugs by taxi and death on demand: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2012/03/in-cancun-los-pelones-happily-deliver.html.
Los Zetas in Cancún hotel zone: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2012/02/southern-zetas-operate-in-cancuns-hotel.html.
Cancún and Riviera Maya, under the thumb of los narcos: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2012/02/mexicos-caribbean-riviera-maya-in-hands.html.
U.S. spring breakers avoiding Cancún (and much of Mexico): http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2012/03/spring-break-nears-but-us-students-are.html
American student nearly killed in 2010 Cancún attack: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2012/03/american-student-who-was-nearly-killed.html.
American tourist, 15, sexually assaulted in five-star Cancún hotel: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2012/01/american-tourist-15-sexually-assaulted.html.
Two women executed in Isla de Mujeres: http://mexicogulfreporter-supplement.blogspot.com/2011/11/two-women-found-executed-in-isla-de.html.
Chief of Tourist Police executed in Playa del Carmen: http://mexicogulfreporter-supplement.blogspot.com/2011/11/chief-of-tourist-police-executed-in.html.
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