Mexico has deployed troops to popular Mexican resorts to protect vacationers following a spate of murders in Cancun and Acapulco over Easter week. More than 8,000 soldiers from the National Guard, Marine Corps, and Army began patrolling the beaches, El Pais reported.
White sand, turquoise water, designer bikinis, cold drinks, and tanned bodies are now neighbors with machine guns and camouflage uniforms. The picture may be strange and surreal, but these are the realities of Mexican beaches today. Local resorts have always been particularly popular with tourists. Currently, the country is in peak tourist season.
The Mexican government decided to introduce military patrols on beaches after Easter week began with at least 8 murders on April 3 alone. 4,724 soldiers have been deployed in Cancun, Acapulco, Tulum, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Veracruz, and another 3,800 servicemen are guarding the country’s highways.
Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval announced that six helicopters, 755 patrol cars, 377 pickup trucks, 10 boats, and 45 SUVs are supporting the troops. The armed forces also provide security at 14 airports and 42 bus stations. The military presence is expected until April 16, during the peak holiday season for both Mexicans and foreign tourists. Mexico is among the top ten most visited countries in the world. It expects almost $9 billion in tourism revenue in the week before and after Easter, according to the Spanish news agency EFE.
According to local authorities, the presence of the military should reassure and secure tourists. “How are you? Have fun? We’re here to welcome you and tell you that you can count on us in any situation,” the soldier said to the tourists relaxing at a table and enjoying oysters and beer.
Emergency measures are associated with an increase in crime. A shooting on April 3 at La Cabaña restaurant on Acapulco’s popular Caleta beach left three men and a woman dead and four others wounded. In Cancún, the week before Easter began with local drug traffickers settling scores in a never-ending battle for territory. The violence resulted in four bodies being washed up on one of the beaches in front of the luxury Fiesta Americana Condesa hotel. Stray bullets have also killed tourists in Tulum and Playa del Carmen in the past, prompting countries such as the US to issue travel warnings in the region.
Despite the fears, hotel occupancy in Cancun exceeded 80% and Acapulco at 73% at the start of Easter week. Nevertheless, people try to stay at a safe distance – most businesses close by 8:00 p.m., and only the bravest stay open an hour longer. When the sun sets and the young people drink vodka by the shore, the soldiers still walk on the sand. These days the beaches of Mexico cannot be called ordinary, no matter what they say.