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Friday, Feb 20, 2026
Outside the box.
Mexican President Claims Mexico is Safer than the U.S.
Mexican President Claims Mexico is Safer than the U.S. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador fires back at U.S. critics, claiming that Mexico is, in fact, safer than the United States.
This comes after a deadly kidnapping in the city of Matamoros claimed the lives of two Americans, causing quite a stir in U.S. media and politics.
But Lopez Obrador is not taking the criticism lying down.
He's even threatening to urge Mexican-Americans not to vote for Republican candidates if the criticism continues.
The Mexican president rejected U.S. official security warnings and stated, Mexico is safer than the United States.
Lopez Obrador highlighted the recent increase in Americans residing in Mexico and the surge in U.S. tourists visiting the country last year as evidence of its safety.
He blamed an anti-Mexico campaign by conservative U.S. politicians for negative reports about security.
However, the facts show a different story.
According to data published by the World Bank, Mexico's murder rate was about four times higher than the United States in 2020, with a rate of 28 per 100,000 people.
Although homicides fell about 7 percent last year, the current government is on track to register a record total for any six-year administration.
The U.S. State Department has assigned varying levels of travel risk to all but two of Mexico's 32 regions.
On top of that, two women from Texas have been missing in Mexico since late February when they drove across the border to sell clothes at a flea market.
Seven women, including a group of six, have been reported missing in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato during the last week.
But that's not all.
A deadly attack by gunmen in a bar in the town of Apaseo El Grande, Guanajuato, claimed the lives of 10 people.
Although prosecutors initially reported eight dead, two more people injured in the shooting have since died.
So, while the Mexican president may claim that Mexico is safer than the U.S., the reality is more complicated.
With ongoing violence and a high murder rate, travelers should still exercise caution when visiting this beautiful country.
But Lopez Obrador is not taking the criticism lying down.
He's even threatening to urge Mexican-Americans not to vote for Republican candidates if the criticism continues.
The Mexican president rejected U.S. official security warnings and stated, Mexico is safer than the United States.
Lopez Obrador highlighted the recent increase in Americans residing in Mexico and the surge in U.S. tourists visiting the country last year as evidence of its safety.
He blamed an anti-Mexico campaign by conservative U.S. politicians for negative reports about security.
However, the facts show a different story.
According to data published by the World Bank, Mexico's murder rate was about four times higher than the United States in 2020, with a rate of 28 per 100,000 people.
Although homicides fell about 7 percent last year, the current government is on track to register a record total for any six-year administration.
The U.S. State Department has assigned varying levels of travel risk to all but two of Mexico's 32 regions.
On top of that, two women from Texas have been missing in Mexico since late February when they drove across the border to sell clothes at a flea market.
Seven women, including a group of six, have been reported missing in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato during the last week.
But that's not all.
A deadly attack by gunmen in a bar in the town of Apaseo El Grande, Guanajuato, claimed the lives of 10 people.
Although prosecutors initially reported eight dead, two more people injured in the shooting have since died.
So, while the Mexican president may claim that Mexico is safer than the U.S., the reality is more complicated.
With ongoing violence and a high murder rate, travelers should still exercise caution when visiting this beautiful country.
