Although the security situation in certain areas of northern and western Mexico still makes the headlines, recent 2014 statistics appear to show that the number of incidents associated with organized crime has dropped by 30 percent in the last two years. The number of homicides registered to date in 2014 has also fallen (source: INEGI).
Over the last few years, many leading drug bosses and their associates have been killed or arrested and the government has seized record amounts of narcotics and firearms smuggled in from other countries. It has also sought to make it more difficult for organized crime to launder money. Nevertheless, it is an ongoing struggle against what is ultimately a global problem.
As part of the fight against crime, the judicial system will also have to be overhauled and the nation’s police forces reformed. When coming to office, President Peña Nieto announced plans for a national gendarmerie and that his government will address social issues such as poverty.
The security situation has had an economic cost for the country. The Institute for Economics and Peace estimated that expenditure on fighting organized crime and reconstruction accounts for 9.4 percent of GDP (2014). Security concerns also have an impact on investor confidence and may deter many potential investors from establishing a base in Mexico.
The Yucatán Peninsula, including the states of Quintana Roo, Campeche and Yucatán and the travel destinations of the Mexican Caribbean is a very safe area, as are many other parts of Mexico.
