Spring Break
Mexican travel dangerous around border cities
Spring break tourists, may not see violence that lives in border towns
Makenzie Marineau
Issue date: 4/3/09 Section: News
Newspaper headlines all read of the violence that is currently taking place in Mexico. Mexican newsstands carry BBC News copies reading "Clinton Admits U.S. Blame on Drugs."
In a country where over 8,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence over the past two years, it is no surprise people would be warning foreign travelers to keep their distance from this vacation destination.
The violence has mostly taken place along the U.S. - Mexican border where they are dealing with issues of illegal flow of guns and drugs into the U.S. In a news conference Hillary Clinton, United States Secretary of State, admitted U.S. co-responsibility in the violence taking place in Mexico to Mexico's Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa.
"Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers and civilians," Clinton said.
Where the media may place blame on the U.S. efforts being unsuccessful, the people of Mexico have a different view of why things have gone wrong.
"No where else in Mexico do you experience real violence except on the border," Mexico City native David Reyes said. Reyes works in the Guadalajara Airport and believes that the border is filled with old violence that has always been around. "They have a 'shoot at me, I will kill you' attitude. Reminds me of the Wild West. Most of the issues are being over analyzed by the media," Reyes said.
With the violence becoming so prevalent tourists and travelers are being warned to not visit Mexico but it hasn't stopped most people from traveling to the country.
Tom Dillon, a 19-year-old student from London has been traveling around Mexico for the past month with another fellow traveler from England, and said he sees the hype around the violence to be just a cover up for the corruption within the police and military forces in Mexico.
"The military are everywhere in Mexico just to watch over the police. A friend of mine traveling in Mexico had been approached by the local police where he was then forced to give them all of his money and empty out his account at the ATM," Dillon said.
In a country where over 8,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence over the past two years, it is no surprise people would be warning foreign travelers to keep their distance from this vacation destination.
The violence has mostly taken place along the U.S. - Mexican border where they are dealing with issues of illegal flow of guns and drugs into the U.S. In a news conference Hillary Clinton, United States Secretary of State, admitted U.S. co-responsibility in the violence taking place in Mexico to Mexico's Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa.
"Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers and civilians," Clinton said.
Where the media may place blame on the U.S. efforts being unsuccessful, the people of Mexico have a different view of why things have gone wrong.
"No where else in Mexico do you experience real violence except on the border," Mexico City native David Reyes said. Reyes works in the Guadalajara Airport and believes that the border is filled with old violence that has always been around. "They have a 'shoot at me, I will kill you' attitude. Reminds me of the Wild West. Most of the issues are being over analyzed by the media," Reyes said.
With the violence becoming so prevalent tourists and travelers are being warned to not visit Mexico but it hasn't stopped most people from traveling to the country.
Tom Dillon, a 19-year-old student from London has been traveling around Mexico for the past month with another fellow traveler from England, and said he sees the hype around the violence to be just a cover up for the corruption within the police and military forces in Mexico.
"The military are everywhere in Mexico just to watch over the police. A friend of mine traveling in Mexico had been approached by the local police where he was then forced to give them all of his money and empty out his account at the ATM," Dillon said.
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