I go to Mexico? What? Am I crazy?
Absolutely not!
I grew up in Southern California and have always tried to understand our neighboring nation. This curiosity led me to apply for the Nixon Fellowship and focus my senior project on researching the culture and business environment in Mexico. I have now been travelling across the border 2-3 times a month for one year. What type of response does this merit? You are probably thinking it right now... he is crazy! I have to defend myself and Mexico on a daily basis and I am coming to realize that it should be the exact opposite; everyone accusing me of being "unsafe" and "stupid" should justify why they are so ignorant to what is actually going on in Mexico.
But no one is to blame. Do a Google search for News articles with the term Mexico and Murder in the past year and 296,000 articles pop up. The majority of this media coverage focuses on Baja California and specifically Tijuana and Rosarito. Am I scared, absolutely not. I have been socializing with and interviewing locals, business owners, and government officials for the same time period and could confidently say I am more aware of the situation south of our border than any media source here in the U.S. What does this mean, that I have taken a personal responsibility to help Mexico turn around the negative image created for them by the controversial relationship with their northern neighbors.
Here are some facts: There is a war going on in Mexico, but it does not directly involve tourists. President Calderon has declared war against corruption and the illegal drug industry. There is no evidence that any innocent US citizen has been randomly killed in drug violence. Over 2,000 troops have been deployed to the region to reduce corruption and fight the drug lords. Mayor Torres of Rosarito (whose family I know personally) has taken the lead on the fight against corruption/drugs in Baja and with a specific police unit whose sole purpose is to look out for tourists, Rosarito is safer than it has ever been. Tourist safety in Baja has improved dramatically since Nov. 2007. "From September to November, 2007 14 attacks were reported on tourists in the border region. During the same time period there were 27 tourist attacks in California State Parks." There has not been an additional incident in the region since Nov. 2007 when the troops were deployed because of an assassination attempt on the newly appointed chief of police of Rosarito who would not accept bribes.
None the less, there is a war going on. Yes it can make people a little nervous, knowing that even though they are not American tourists over 25 people are being murdered on a weekly basis in the region. This war is between the Mexico government and drug lords who have infiltrated every level of government in the last century. This is an enormous amount of deep corruption and ever since a more stable and fair democracy has been been in place, the presidents have been attempting to fight back. Unfortunately, this war will come at a cost many people cannot bear to think about. Fortunately, President Calderon has the guts to stand up to these criminals who have held back the development of Mexico for too long.
Don't be fooled by the emotional headlines of U.S. media sources. The deaths in Mexico recently are a sad but necessary reality. Tourists are safe, the war is to protect them. If you have questions or concerns, talk to someone who lives their or visits frequently. I challenge you to ignore what your family and friends say about how unsafe Mexico is right now and travel with me across the border. You will see the truth for yourself and you will have the time of your life. We live next to a beautiful nation, take advantage of it.
Source: http://www.bajainsider.com/ and my personal research
Originally written November 7, 2008 - I just reread the post and besides a few small changes in the numbers, I found that it is still relevant today. Please excuse some of the dated content.
