Narcos, drugs and violence: How safe is Mexico for Canadians?

Written for Daily Hive by Katarina Szulc, a Canadian journalist based in Mexico. She often focuses on crime, immigration, and politics.

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Over the years, news of cartel violence and general insecurity in Mexico has flooded international headlines.

While the country has often been portrayed as a breeding ground for violent cartels and the raging war on drugs, some say the unsafe narrative that keeps foreigners on their toes does not paint the full picture.

In 2022, Mexico’s National Statistics Institute recorded 32,223 killings, marking a 9.7% decrease from 2021. The homicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants fell from approximately 28 in 2021 to 25 in 2022.

Meanwhile, Statistics Canada’s Crime Severity Index, which measures police-reported crime, was up 4% overall last year. The index for violent crime in Canada showed a 5% increase in 2022, following a 6% increase in 2021.

The extent of violence varies from region to region

Although comparing crime statistics country by country can lack clarity, says Valentin Pereda, criminology assistant professor at the University of Montreal, the numbers still allow a peek into the extent of crime unfolding in the respective regions.

“Organized crime throughout the whole country varies a lot from one region to another… There are regions of Mexico where you don’t have such a strong presence of criminal organizations, or where you have criminal organizations that take special measures to not rely on violence,” says Pereda in an interview over Zoom.

Pereda, who is originally from Mexico, says his native country has often been depicted as the spearhead of the war on drugs and cartel violence despite Canada and the US experiencing similar levels of crime.

“This is something that is not exclusive to Mexico; in Canada, criminal organizations such as the Hells Angels will develop their operations in one area, and you will suddenly see violence related to drug trafficking.”

However, recent travel statistics show that Canadians may be disregarding the bombardment of news that could portray Mexico in a dangerous light.

In 2022, 66 million international visitors arrived in Mexico, according to Mexico’s secretary of foreign affairs. That is nearly 11 million more visitors compared to 2021, which represented an increase of 19.3%.

“One thing that the Canadian government has done right is when you go to their travel advisory boards, you won’t find broad alarmist statements that you may find on the US travel advisory websites.

“They will say maybe you have to be cautious here, but that doesn’t mean you will be killed or kidnapped if you go there,” Pereda explained.

The Government of Canada website currently indicates exercising a high degree of caution in certain Mexican regions due to high levels of criminal activity and kidnapping.

Canada continues to be Mexico’s second biggest source country for visitors after the United States, with over 1.8 million Canadians having travelled to Mexico in 2022.

A significant number of Canadians, particularly retirees, purchase properties in Mexico and spend extended periods of time there.

The importance of staying alert no matter where you are

Joel Johnston, a retired Canadian police officer of 30 years, says no matter where you are, it’s critical to stay alert.

“Whether you’re a tourist or you’re in your own city, there have been a number of random stabbing attacks and so forth in Vancouver, Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton, so safety’s an important consideration everywhere.”

Johnston says the same tactics should apply while in Canada, but when visiting a foreign country where foreigners may be unaware of laws or lack social awareness, they should try their best to “be smart.”

“The last part of your safety is physically defending yourself. There’s so much that you can do to be aware to avoid that sort of thing, and that really is where your energy needs to be focused.”

Johnston says a good rule of thumb is following the “D method,” which includes making informed decisions, deterring violence, detecting any possible dangers, defusing situations, and knowing how to defend yourself.

“It’s important for anyone living in a large city or doing some travelling to know the basics of self-defence, but again, physical defence is a last resort.”