I have been caught by a massive sandstorm in the Syrian desert moments before the country, itself, blew up, got kicked out of Russia, forcing me to cross the Mongolian border on foot, and slept on the floor of the Amazon jungle ... am I bragging about my fearlessness/ stupidity?
No, I mention these stories to juxtapose the fact that I was frightened by the mere idea of traveling to Mexico.
My trepidation was a function of US media propaganda, which lead me to believe that within hours of arrival, my children would be kidnapped and held for ransom, and I, in all likelihood, would be unable to pay, as a result of having already been murdered.
So when our move to Costa Rica didn't work out for us, and finding our options increasingly constricted by the tyranny of the Coronatarians, I had little choice but to submit to my wife's demand that maybe, just, maybe, we at least, visit the country.
As it was I who declared that we remain in Puerto Vallarta, it's safe to say that my fears were quickly allayed.
Is crime being rare in PV a function of a dedicated, incorruptible police force intent on insuring law and order? Considering most officers augment their incomes by collecting traffic fines at the point of infraction ... that seems unlikely.
Is it the national guard/ Mexican Marines that ride around town automatic weapons in hand, manning a machine gun turret atop a military vehicle? It certainly doesn't hurt, but honestly, this is more a show of force than anything.
Mexican marines on patrol |
So what gives? What accounts for the area's safety?
Answer: Engaging in violent criminal activity around Puerto Vallarta is incredibly risky. A few stories--
A man on a motorbike robs a Canadian at gunpoint in Bucerias; the identity of the criminal is ascertained, he's never heard from again.
A local businessman withdraws thousands of dollars from his account. Likely tipped off by a teller, a couple hoods crash into his car and, amidst the confusion, grab the money bag ... They're no longer with us.
My fix-it-man friend, a local here for 40 years, tells me shaking his head that someone had the audacity to mug a tourist outside a newly opened grocery store in Nuevo Vallarta. He's worried ... for the mugger.
Having lived here for two and a half years, the stories are so consistent, emanating from so many disparate sources, one eventually just accepts the narrative as fact.
By now you might have deduced who represents the sharp point of justice in South Central Mexico- the local drug cartel, whose initials are easy to ascertain, just not via me.
This is their territory; a paradise of tropical beaches and ocean, which they use to wash illicit profits by funneling them through Puerto Vallarta's thriving tourist industry, whether that be buying up shares in local resorts, or plowing billions into the construction of what will soon be the Mexican Disneyland (VidantaWorld) on the Jalisco/Nayarit border.
beaches of Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit |
Violence and crime are simply not good for business:
1. It scares off the tourist dollars, which are a key ingredient of the laundry machine by which their dirty money emerges sparkling.
2. Given Puerto Vallarta's relative wealth, the "professionally directed" head of the Mexican government might be forced to turn back to the area to address the cries of anguish from the local populace.
3. And with so many American expats in the area, the worst possible outcome for the cartel is attracting what for them is the eye of Soron, the US government.
If you have any doubt of the cartels avid desire to avoid America's attention, in 2023, four US citizens, who by many accounts had previously engaged in suspect activities, were fired upon in the border city of Matamoros, killing 2 of them, the other two kidnapped.
Once they realized they were holding Americans, release of the survivors was swift, and the Gulf Cartel went beyond just the words of the apology they issued, they turned over five of their own men to the police.
Even with these acts of supplication, their leader was soon arrested by Mexican Marines, and the cartel was enormously weakened in the process.
And so, my original calculation that American kids living in Mexico would make lucrative targets for kidnappers, was completely incorrect. The fact is my children are strictly Hands Off.
And so am I ... provided I abide by the following set of rules.
1) You may know that someone is a narco, that's fine. But if you identify them publicly as such, they'll be identifying your body.
2) You absolutely do NOT compete by selling so much as marijuana. A friend had first hand knowledge of a Canadian and Mexican who were doing just that until they were abducted, the Mexican can be found in an unmarked hole somewhere in the mountains, and the Canadian was beaten for days, and is alive solely by virtue his foreign passport.
3) If you open a bar/ nightclub, expect to hand over most, if not of all, of your profits to the cartel.
4) Publicly criticizing the narcos is a big no-no. I was at my son's soccer practice speaking to a local who told me how his bar had been shaken down by the cartel, until he just decided to close down. Appalled, I openly criticized the extortion.
As I spoke, another Dad silently approached and whispered in my ear to hush, that it was both inadvisable and perilous to state such words aloud, and that there are prominent members of the organization whose children also attend our sons' school.
And of course my response was, silence.
But now that my family has moved, yet again, I will speak my peace.
I state openly, that while I am no fan of the cartel and their profit centers, I also note, on behalf of most everyone living in the Puerto Vallarta, thank you for at least keeping the area safe. Like anything, in life, there are trade-offs to where and how we choose to live.