This tourist destination ranks among the top places where residents feel unsafe, according to INEGI.
Cancún, Quintana Roo, is a favorite spot for both Mexicans and foreigners to visit and have an unforgettable vacation due to the beauty of its beaches. However, it is also one of the regions with the highest perception of insecurity.
Recently, a foreign visitor shared on an internet forum the unpleasant experience she had when taking an official taxi in Cancún after leaving the airport, during which she was robbed by the driver. According to the woman’s testimony, she took a taxi that charged her $350 to transport her to her hotel. However, during the trip, the driver forced her out of the car, threw out her luggage, and stole her bag, which contained her passport, medicines, wallet, cash, and other belongings.
Following the incident, the woman sought help from the National Guard and decided to return to the airport with one of the cards she managed to keep during the robbery, heading back home.
This case is not isolated. In April of this year, a young Canadian’s experience went viral when he shared that a taxi in Cancún tried to charge him $1,000 (17,000 pesos) for the requested trip. When he protested, the driver stopped to confront him and told him to leave, while the Canadian shouted for help to avoid potential aggression.
These cases are not exceptional, as both Mexicans and locals claim that while tourists are charged higher prices than nationals, they too fall victim to these extortions.
Cancún: One of the Beaches with the Highest Perception of Insecurity
According to the 2024 National Urban Public Security Survey (ENSU) and the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), Cancún is the second city with the highest perception of insecurity, with 82% of residents feeling unsafe, followed by Acapulco at 79%.
Additionally, INEGI’s state coordinator, Carlos Fernando Novelo Vela, reported in recent months that 77.85% of Benito Juárez municipality residents feel unsafe, a 5% decrease compared to Chetumal, where insecurity increased by 17%.
However, one of the most significant data points is that in June of this year, 146,000 residents, or 21.4% of those aged 18 and over, considered it safe to live in Cancún, out of a population of over 900,000.
Reports from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP) indicate that up to August, 710 deaths were recorded in high-impact crimes.
Another instance of violence in Cancún was the execution of a man in the city’s Hotel Zone. After a series of gunshots, Tourist Police officers arrived at the Riu Palace Hotel, where they found the young man’s body lying on the sand. Paramedics confirmed that the man had no vital signs.
A local media outlet collected testimonies about the incident, including one from a man from Chile who witnessed the events: “We were in the sea, at least ten Chileans enjoying the water when suddenly a jet ski appeared. It stopped at the shore, someone quickly got on, and without warning, an individual who came running was hit by gunfire from the pier. The person died right there,” he explained.
Given this situation, the cases of violence continue to exemplify the critical state of affairs in Cancún amid rising violence and insecurity.
Source: Infobae
