Mexico's drug war, contrary to report, does not mean all areas are unsafe for tourists

I enjoy watching CNN and respect its journalists, but the station blundered Saturday night while addressing Mexico's drug war and the dangers facing prospective visitors to Mexico during spring break.

"CNN Newsroom" anchor Don Lemon stated at the outset of a story focusing largely on border-town drug-related violence that people in the United States might want "to think twice before considering Mexico for a spring break vacation."

This implied that all of Mexico is embroiled in such violence, and it's simply not true.

Cabo San Lucas, East Cape and La Paz? These areas in Baja California Sur, like many areas on Mexico's mainland, have not been sucked into the drug-related violence and do not deserve to be tossed into the fray.

Resort operators from southern Baja spent much of their time at last week's Fred Hall Fishing Tackle and Boat Show in Long Beach explaining to prospective clients how far removed they are from the drug-war front.

A sportfishing fleet owner from Cabo San Lucas told me that some business owners there are suspicious that U.S. media outlets are purposely trying to prevent citizens from spending money in a foreign country during these hard economic times.

CNN, or the L.A. Times for that matter, certainly would not stoop to such tactics.

To be sure, the CNN piece highlighted a serious problem that festers in border towns such as Tijuana and Rosarito Beach, where violence has been steady (in the former) or sporadic (in the latter).

But the same story also implied that beaches in Rosarito Beach are unsafe for tourists.

In fact, not a single drug-related murder, since the violence in border areas flared up beginning in 2007, has claimed a tourist in Rosarito Beach. And I could be wrong, but I do not think a murder of any cartel member or police officer actually occurred on a beach within a tourist zone.

I don't mean to downplay a serious issue or imply there aren't risks associated with travel south of the border. But as with the United States, some places in Mexico are safer than others, and they deserve a fair shake.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo (top): Rancho Leonero Resort is a sleepy fishing destination in Baja California Sur's East Cape region, far removed from the drug-related violence in Mexico.

Credit: Pete Thomas / Los Angeles Times

Photo (bottom): Matt Miller of Redondo Beach hoists a dorado, or mahi-mahi, caught on off Cabo San Lucas.

Credit: Pete Thomas / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[LCR]

Sound like an expert Jon K. Any chance you live in Mexico? I would doubt it. Certainly not in Puerto Vallarta where I have lived for the past 4 and 1/2 years with my wife and 3 kids and where I feel safer than most parts of the US I have lived in.

The author of the article is dead on (oops... bad choice of words). The problem, which is real, is centered in very limited parts of the country. Come to Vallarta, enjoy incredible weather, live like a king with the current value of the dollar, and prepared to blown away by the kindness of the vast majority of honest, hard-working, Mexican people!

[John Jay Street]

The comments posted are correct. Look at the violent crime rate of Mexican cities, excluding Juarez and Tiuana, and compare these rates to similarly sized cities in the US. In almost every instance the US cities will have a higher total violent crime rate.

[Jon K.]

Mexico is a beautiful place, but it ALWAYS has been corrupt and the corruption is getting worse.

If you want Mexico to become a better place, don't go there. As long as Mexico can support it's present state through tourist dollars and illegal immigrants sending money home, then it won't change. It'll hobble along as a semi-functional country that accepts corruption and allows the powerful to abuse the poor.

Mexico is like an alcoholic that the United States enables through putting a blind eye to all its problems. Take away all the money that the U.S. pumps into Mexico and maybe they'll actually develop an impetus to change for the better.

[love Baja]

I would really like to have a true comparison to the amount of crime in Souther California to the crime in Rosarito Beach. I would think you would see the Southern California is a much more dangerous place to live

[gonzo White]

I think if you considered the boarder cities of Mexico like the inner cities of many large towns. You sure wouldn't take your vacation in the crime riddled ghettos of inner city of Detroit or LA. But there are many great places to visit in Michigan and California.

Its the same in Mexico, Most of Mexico is safe and a wonderful place to visit.

And remember all these problems in Mexico are funded by drug users in the US.