Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexican President urged on Monday that his country, Mexico is safer than the United States, despite the recent lethal kidnapping of a group of Americans.
“Why this paranoia?” Lopez Obrador said when questioned by reporters about the US government’s suggestion to avoid traveling to or exercise increased precaution in most of the country.
Mexico is safer than the United States and there’s no problem to travel through Mexico safely.”
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador-Mexican President said.
The statements follow the kidnapping on March 3 of four US citizens, two of whom were killed, after crossing the border into northeastern Mexico, apparently so that one could experience cosmetic surgery.
On Friday, an official said five suspected drug cartel associates have been arrested for the crimes of kidnapping and killing following the incident in Tamaulipas state. Mexican authorities consider the drug traffickers mistook the Americans for competitors and fired at them when they attempted to flee.
Mexico is haunted by cartel-related bloodshed that has noticed around 350,000 people killed since the government deployed the military in the war on drugs in 2006. Tamaulipas is among six of Mexico’s 32 states that the US government alerts against visiting due to the threat of murder, kidnapping, and other crimes.
The US State Department website recommends Americans rethink trips to seven other states, and exercise raised warnings when visiting 17 states. While only Campeche and Yucatan, in southeastern Mexico, are considered secure to visit with normal precautions.
