Mexican authorities reacted swiftly to reduce the negative fallout from an updated U.S. State Department travel warning for this country released on Friday, August 15.
Mexico’s Foreign Ministry (SRE) straight away hit back at the advisory’s claim that kidnappings “appear to be on the rise.”
Citing 2014 figures, the SRE said kidnappings have actaully decreased by 22 percent in relation to 2013, mainly thanks to anti-crime measures introduced by President Enrique Peña Nieto. The SRE also highlighted a reduction of 32 percent in the number of homicides reported in 2014.
The State Department’s advisory quotes figures from Mexico’s Interior Ministry (Secretaria de Gobernacion or Segob), showing “2013 kidnappings nationwide to have increased 20 percent over the previous year.” In addition, it notes that, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi), Mexico “suffered an estimated 105,682 kidnappings in 2012 but only 1,317 were reported to the police.” The advisory also mentioned that “nearly 70 kidnappings of U.S. citizens were reported to the U.S. embassy and consulates in Mexico between January and June this year.
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