The latest outbreak of violence in the city’s hotel zone came on Monday as tourists flock to Mexico’s Riviera Maya over the Easter holiday period. A shooting involving drug traffickers left four people dead in a beach of the famous Mexican resort of Cancun.
Mexico remains an insecure destination currently
Mexico has been plagued by cartel-linked bloodshed that has claimed more than 300,000 lives since the government deployed the military in the so-called War on Drugs in 2006.
While Quintana Roo is generally considered safer than most of the rest of the country, there has been an increase in gang warfare-related violence in recent years, prompting security forces to step up patrols.
In October 2021, two German and Indian tourists were killed in a shootout between suspected gang members at a restaurant in the resort town of Tulum.
Two Americans found dead after being attacked and kidnapped near the border. Airports have been closed amid gang violence in Sinaloa. Unrest among taxi drivers in Cancún.
The United States Embassy issued a travel alert
US authorities are asking visitors to exercise caution by avoiding dangerous situations and drinking responsibly, among other recommendations. “Crimes, including violent crimes, can occur anywhere in Mexico, including popular tourist destinations,” the alert reads. And the State Department has warned tourists to avoid six states, including the state of Tamaulipas, where the recent kidnapping happened – and to exercise greater caution in other popular destinations like Playa del Carmen. , Cancun, Tulum and Mexico City.
Governor of Quintana Roo tries to reassure tourists
Mara Lezama, Governor of Quintana Roo said: “I met the Attorney General of the Republic, Alejandro Gertz Manero, with whom we work in coordination to ensure justice, security and protection of Quintana Roo”,
The President of the State assured that Gertz Manero has expressed his support for the initiative of the law on citizen security which he presented today before the local Congress.
“This law aims to ensure security and protection in a citizen spirit in our state, to achieve the peace and tranquility that we long for,” he said.
Yesterday the governor announced that she would present the initiative due to the violence that still exists
“Security is the most important problem for our State”
“To solve this evil, from the election campaign I promoted the evolution of the public security model towards a new model of citizen security,” she said in a video.
According to the initiative, the new citizen security model is based on the principles of preserving freedom, safeguarding human rights, and restoring peace and order.
The Citizen Security Act initiative includes, but is not limited to: culture and civic justice, community policing in prevention functions, increased intelligence and analytical capabilities, police officers trained to investigate crimes in conjunction with the ministry audience .
