Guadalajara -
In the wake of Monday's brutal attack against six young Spanish tourists who had just arrived in the city on vacation, the world press, especially in Europe, is showing Acapulco no quarter.
The women were repeatedly raped by a gang of heavily armed, hooded men over a period of three hours. A Mexican companion with them was spared the sexual assault, but was robbed of all her belongings, as were the Spaniards. Spanish tourists raped, robbed on Acapulco beach front.
Despite yesterday's promise by Acapulco mayor Luis Walton Aburto that authorities were about to disclose "information concerning those responsible," they have yet to do so. As of this morning, no one has been arrested and no suspects have been identified. At least five men, presumably Mexicans, participated in the after-midnight attack. The women were lodged in a thatched beach house which had no doors. The area is only minutes from the city's international airport.
Walton created a firestorm of controversy yesterday by Tweeting his followers that the rapes "could have happened anywhere in Mexico, anywhere in the world." That comment found no more popularity in Europe than it did in the United States.
Spain's prestigious newspaper ABC carried a story which called Acapulco and all of Guerrero state a "zone of special danger," and admonished travelers who were determined to go there to "exercise extreme prudence." No one can accuse the paper of editorial hype, because those statements were virtually direct quotes from Spain's Foregin Ministry, in a public alert to citizens. "Image of Acapulco" is on the line, admits its mayor. They've been repeated over and over in Mexico in the last 24 hours.
ABC told its readers that Acapulco hotels are "almost vacant, the boardwalks are empty and waiters in restaurants pass their time rearranging tables and chairs for guests who never arrive." It said the city had become a "nest for bands of criminals."
Another Spanish newspaper pointed that far from being "a jewel in the crown of Mexican tourism," Acapulco is one of the deadliest cities in the nation, with an annual homicide rate of over a thousand. Almost all are the handiwork of vicious drug cartels and ruthless organized crime groups locked in a bloody struggle for "control of the plaza" - narcotics trafficking and allied industries, such as extortion and kidnapping.
Yet another paper noted that Acapulco has been "plagued in recent year by organized crime, despite the huge deployment of federal and state security forces since late 2011."
A German news agency weighed in, writing that Acapulco has "lost its luster," while a Mexican press source noted that a mere 10% of Acapulco visitors in 2012 were foreigners. Mexicans still traveled to the resort in large numbers last year, since they've always favored it over vacation spots like Puerto Vallarta, just up the Pacific coast. And although Vallarta has been the traditional domain of Canadian and American tourists for decades, recent events there have forced a reevaluation of its safety, too.
European and North American tourists considering a trip to Mexico may run out of options, which could cost the country dearly in revenues. The world famous Riviera Maya along the Caribbean coast has become particularly violent in recent months, and is now a leading drug war hot zone (seldom reported by the world press). Two cartels unite to declare war on Los Zetas in Cancún, foreshadowing a "bloodbath" in Riviera Maya. Quintana Roo authorities say much of the Colombian cocaine destined for consumption in U.S. and European markets regularly arrives on beaches there, where it's offloaded to vehicles for the trip across the Yucatán peninsula. More dope comes ashore in Quintana Roo. That fact makes quick work of the argument that Yucatán remains the only narco-free zone in Mexico.
Feb. 13 - Mexican prosecutors announce arrests in Acapulco rapes
Feb. 11 - Will Manzanillo become the next Mexican resort to feel the impact of drug war insecurity?
Feb. 8 - Serial rapists may be responsible for Acapulco attacks - but do police have the right men?
Feb. 8 - Today could bring arrests in Acapulco rape case, as more disturbing details emerge
Feb. 6 - Acapulco's tearful mayor begs Enrique Peña Nieto for federal help
Feb. 6 - Gunmen ambush police patrol in war torn Guerrero state, leaving nine officers dead
Security forces in Acapulco, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013. Their presence is unlikely to help business.
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