MEXICO: Tourists flock to Acapulco even with heightened security ahead of elections

Record ID: 1525826

  • Title: MEXICO: Tourists flock to Acapulco even with heightened security ahead of elections
  • Date: 31st January 2011
  • Summary: ACAPULCO, MEXICO (JANUARY 29, 2011) (REUTERS) SWISS COUPLE, GISELE AND LUKAS STEINER, CYCLERS ON THE ROAD MILITARY TRUCK ON THE ROAD VARIOUS OF COUPLE CYCLING THE ROAD (SOUNDBITE) (English) LUKAS STEINER, SWISS CITIZEN, SAYING: "I feel good. It's no problem, just around the border, we were a little bit careful because of all the drug war, but it was no problem. We didn't see anything so it's okay. Here on the coast we saw a lot of police with military but they were friendly and we never saw anything. We hear nothing about crime or things like that. People are very friendly here." LUKAS STARTING TO CYCLE DOWN THE ROAD POLICE OFFICERS TAKING AWAY A DRUG POSTER FROM THE TOP OF A BRIDGE HUMAN BODY PARTS ON THE STREET PEOPLE WATCHING THE BODY POLICE FORENSICS EXPERTS REMOVING THE BAGS WITH HUMAN REMAINS TOP OF HOTEL BUILDING POSTER ON THE STREET SAYING "SPEAK WELL ABOUT ACAPULCO" NATIONAL AND FOREIGN TOURISTS WALKING DOWN STREET WIDE ACAPULCO BEACH PEOPLE KAYAKING ON THE SEA WOMAN WALKING THE BEACH (SOUNDBITE) (English) RENE GUIBERT, CANADIAN TOURIST, SAYING: "It's not my country. I need to respect the people and no make the same than at my home. In my country, I can go anywhere anytime but here, for me, I'm on vacation. I cant go anywhere that I want." BEACH POOL WITH TOURISTS TOURIST FLYING A PARACHUTE TOURISTS IN POOL
  • Embargoed: 15th February 2011 03:54
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mexico, Mexico
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,Travel / Tourism
  • Reuters ID: LVA7NDN9A9RY9N3BFFBPK1GJ5PLI
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: As Mexico ratchets up Acapulco area security ahead of elections, tourists enjoy the beach, seemingly unaffected by the wave of violence.
    The Acapulco area, once known as a beautiful tourist beach city, is the site of a three-way brutal drug war. The Sinaloa gang, the weakened Beltran Leyva cartel and the South Pacific cartel-- a breakaway faction of the Beltran Leyva gang-- are all fighting for control of the city, its ports and access to the U.S.
    Swiss tourists Gisele and Lukas Steiner are bicycling from Alaska to South America. They happily cycle down the street as a military convoy drives past them.
    "I feel good. It's no problem, just around the border, we were a little bit careful because of all the drug war, but it was no problem. We didn't see anything so it's okay. Here on the coast we saw a lot of police with military but they were friendly and we never saw anything. We hear nothing about crime or things like that. People are very friendly here," said Steiner.
    With over 10,000 people killed each year since President Felipe Calderon took office and Guerrero state, which houses Acapulco, a flashpoint, federal forces have stepped up security ahead of elections on Sunday (January 30).
    But even in the presence of soldiers, drug cartel violence is a daily occurrence in Guerrero, 250 miles (400 km) from the Mexican capital.
    On Saturday (January 29), police found a murdered man lying in the middle of the street-- one more casualty of the drug war.
    They quickly took down a banner hanging from a nearby bridge where cartel members had posted a message to rival cartels.
    As local residents looked on, police carted the body away and collected evidence.
    Nearby hung a poster advising residents to "Speak well of Acapulco."
    Boasting wide sandy beaches, sun and fun, Acapulco has long hosted international partiers. In light of the daily headlines item chronicling the cartel murders, the hotel and restaurant industry has been quick to distance their city with the country's growing violence.
    Acapulco Hotel Association President Pedro Haces said newspaper accounts have been exaggerated.
    "Unfortunately, the things that happen sound very strong. If a person doesn't live here reads the newspaper while they're 300, 1,000 or 10,000 kilometres away, they feel that the situation is really bad. There are things happening today all over the world which, unfortunately, affect tourism. I think that what happens in Acapulco is exaggerated a bit. Let's not say they don't happen but they are isolated incidents that occur in the state of Guerrero, 50 or 100 kilometers from here," he said.
    According to local media, as many as 50 people have been murdered in Acapulco since 2011 began. In one 24-hour period in early January, 28 people in the city were killed, 15 of them decapitated.
    Drug violence has killed more than 30,000 people in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched his army-led crackdown on drug cartels in December 2006.
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