Is Mexico Safe? Safer than the United States

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) calls out critics, but is he just trying to keep tourist money flow?

After a group of Americans were kidnapped and killed around Matamoros, Mexico, Mexico's President AMLO decided to take a stand against all the people claiming that Mexico is "dangerous." His claim is that the criticism is extremely overhyped and America should be worried about its own increasingly dangerous cities. I can say I have lived here for multiple years now, and despite me living in a nice area of Mexico City, I have traveled around the country by foot, car, and bus and have felt safer than walking around the streets of New York City.
Either way, let's bring up some of the facts.


Yes, a couple of Americans were kidnapped and killed. The local cartel took responsibility for the incident, tied up the perpetrators, and left them in the middle of the street. Multiple states in Mexico have been placed on the US government's travel advisory list, and multiple US politicians have made comments that the US should finally step in and put a stop to the cartel wars going on. The notion that Mexico as a whole is simply a lawless state full of warring factions doesn't really paint a colorful picture. *My personal opinion is also that; yes, there are certain cities that are dangerous, but those “cities” are essentially off-limits warzones to most people. The cartel does a good job of keeping their violence away from most of the country and especially the tourists. America also has multiple cities and areas of cities that are essentially the same.

It's actually interesting that Mexico City is not even featured on the world's most dangerous cities list, but multiple large American cities are. The media's portrayal of crime and violence would make it seem otherwise. When you look into the numbers, an interesting perspective comes to light. Recent shooting death statistics show that the likelihood of being shot and killed in American cities like Baltimore, St. Louis, and Chicago is much higher compared to Guadalajara and Mexico City.

Moreover, the safety landscape in both countries is complex. While Mexico's murder rate is higher than that of the United States as a whole, drilling down to specific regions unveils variations. Avoiding high-risk areas becomes crucial, a practice no different from avoiding dangerous parts of American cities.

You can also find that while Mexico's murder rate is decreasing, the United States’s is increasing. Take Chicago, for instance; on any given weekend, you might see a dozen murders, and this is amplified over multiple American cities. No one has ever used this information to brand America itself as an unsafe place. Another reality is that Mexico already has immigration controls that keep many Mexicans from coming to the states. "(Legally) it takes upwards of 2 years for Mexicans to even get visas, and even if the application isn't approved, they don’t get their fees returned. Mexico has done a lot to stop illegal immigration on many fronts, but there’s an issue of American politics catering to and housing illegal immigrants, which creates incentives for more people to go.

Let's also talk about Americans immigrating or expatriating to the states. If Mexico were truly so dangerous, Americans wouldn't be coming to live en masse. It's almost like Mexico provides a better life for some people: lower cost of living, great weather, richer culture. There's also the potential to reduce taxes by relocating here. In the end, the question of whether Mexico is a safe place to visit or live is still a little more complicated. But you can look past the clickbait headlines and ask people on the ground for their opinions. Ask the millions of people that visit every year if they truly feel unsafe. Ask the many expats and immigrants that have lived here for years whether or not they have an interest in moving back to the states…