According to data from the local branch of the Mexican Employers’ Confederation (Coparmex), Cancún accounts for more than 85% of extortion cases across the entire Yucatán Peninsula.
María Jovita Portillo Navarro, president of this local employers’ organization, stated that in Cancún alone, the cumulative number of cases between January and November 2025 reached 162, representing a 62% increase compared to 2024.
“These numbers only reflect officially reported cases, as independent organizations estimate that up to 90% of extortion crimes go unreported due to fear, reprisals, or distrust of institutions, meaning the true extent of the problem could be up to 10 times greater,” explained the Coparmex leader.
This problem, she said, cannot be normalized or considered an inherent cost of operating a business, regardless of its size, as it threatens the formal economy, employment, and social development.
She believes this issue must be treated as a public policy priority, including reforms to implement the General Law Against Extortion, with more severe and effective penalties and investigation protocols.
Portillo Navarro called for the establishment of specialized units within State Attorney General’s Offices at the local level to address this serious crime, intelligently combat the groups operating outside the law, and provide protection and guarantees for victims, complainants, and witnesses, thus eliminating the dark figure that currently obscures the true magnitude of the problem.
“They not only extort money, they steal opportunities, destroy dignity, and fracture the social fabric. It is time to act decisively and with political will to protect investment and ensure development without coercion or fear,” declared the president of Coparmex Cancún.
Source: eleconomista
