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Once again, a local government in the Riviera Maya calls on the Mexican military for assistance.
Tulum continues to increase security efforts amidst concerns about safety for tourists and locals.
Diego Castañón Trejó, Municipal President of Tulum, announced that 20 troops from the Mexican Navy will be added to existing security in the city.
These Navy personnel will assist with training activities for Municipal Police officers.
Municipal President Diego Castañón Trejó also claimed that there has been a significant decrease in criminal activity, especially in homicides.
He also promised to continue working every day to guarantee security for both locals and tourists in Tulum.
Security Situation In Tulum
Criminal actions in Tulum have been under the spotlight in 2023, with high-profile incidences making the news locally and internationally.
This April, the city of Tulum released an advisory in response to safety concerns in the area.
However, the advisory assured that turf wars in the city caused the most violent occasions and that visitors and citizens were unaffected.
The United States Department of State mentioned Tulum in a travel advisory released before spring break season.
The warning advised spring break travelers in Mexico to be cautious of crime, scams, and counterfeit products.
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According to the advisory, “U.S. citizens should exercise increased caution in the downtown areas of popular spring break locations including Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and Tulum, especially after dark.”
Quintana Roo, which includes tourism hotspots like Tulum, Cancun, and Playa del Carmen, is under a level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) advisory from the Department of State.
The United Kingdom, France, and many other countries popular with tourists are under the same level of State Department Advisory.
Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama defended her state against the advisory, claiming it is part of a “dirty war” against tourism in the Riviera Maya.
“The dirty war against tourist destinations does not affect the government, they affect the citizens of the place we live,” said Governor Lezama.
Military In Tulum
This is not the first time that the Mexican military has gotten involved in Tulum security.
This April, units from the Mexican National Guard were sent to reinforce security in Tulum’s Jaguar National Park.
The reinforcements came to prevent illegal access to the nature reserve.
The number of agents increased at the beginning of the week before Easter, which is marked by high tourism annually.
Inspector General of the National Guard Gabriel Bautista Tapia said that they “have detected people wishing to invade the diverse lands that they find in the park to construct buildings. This will not be permitted since this is a protected reserve.”
The National Guard took action across the park, but their main focus was protecting park visitors from violence and crime.
“There is a need for National Guard presence to protect the people and resources of the nation found in this park,” said Inspector General Bautista Tapia.
This special force is in charge of protecting both Jaguar National Park and the Mexican Caribbean Bioreserve.
The National Guard has also been involved in security at another national monument in Tulum.
The Tulum Archaeological Zone receives National Guard assistance to protect tourists at the park entrance.
Their mandate was to prevent “jaladores,” or “pullers,” from bothering tourists with offers for tours of services.
While such tours can be a great way to see the Riviera Maya, the atmosphere at the entrance of the Tulum Archaeological Zone was starting to become too intense for local authorities to manage.
In egregious cases, pullers physically fought each other in front of tourists visiting the archaeological site.
In other cases, pullers blocked tourist vehicles and prevented them from entering the park.
After tourist complaints piled up, the National Guard was dispatched to restrict pullers to their designated area, ensuring that tourists could enter the grounds on foot or by car.
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