The mayor of San Miguel de Allende, Mauricio Trejo Pureco, requested the removal of the red travel advisory issued by the United States for Guanajuato due to security concerns. This request was made during a bilateral visit by eight U.S. congressmen who met this Sunday in this World Heritage city with the Governor of Guanajuato, Libia Denisse García Muñoz Ledo, and the mayor himself.
“I am very interested in raising the issue and putting forward the request to remove the red travel advisory issued by the United States for Guanajuato (due to security concerns). We need to analyze where the violence is occurring in the state of Guanajuato, and we will realize that it is indeed violence that is occurring in certain areas, but that the state of Guanajuato is not inherently violent,” Trejo Pureco said in an exclusive interview with Milenio. Guanajuato is also pursuing a direct flight to Colombia. This was reported in an interview with Milenio by María Guadalupe Robles León.
Guanajuato is seeking a direct flight to Colombia. He asserted that San Miguel de Allende is a very safe municipality and that, without intending to re-victimize anyone, 99% of the homicides reported last year were related to individuals with criminal records for alleged drug dealing.
“San Miguel de Allende is not a violent municipality, so I asked them to analyze the situation and help us, through this commission, to remove the red alert against travel to Guanajuato that the United States issued to Mexican nationals,” he said.
The mayor stated that a delegation of this kind had never visited the municipality before and acknowledged that security was their biggest concern, but he opined that the delegation left feeling reassured because they had been presented with the security achievements in the state, such as the nearly 52% reduction in homicides this past year.
Trejo Pureco noted that this visit was extremely important because, amidst very turbulent political times, these kinds of visits are essential to avoid damaging bilateral relations; on the contrary, the goal is to further strengthen them.
“I think they’re leaving with a very positive impression. I believe that today, San Miguel de Allende, the Governor of the State, and Mayor Mauricio Trejo contributed significantly to making the relationship between Mexico and the United States smoother and to fostering communication about the positive aspects we have now, about the importance of our relationship as neighbors,” he said.
He also pointed out that decisions made in the United States affect the approximately 16,000 Americans living in San Miguel, making it crucial to maintain a good relationship.
He opined that this meeting demonstrates the honesty with which Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende are operating, in governments where, he asserted, “there is no foul play.”
Source: milenio
