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I can speak for Mexico. We have so much going for it. 1. A robust manufacturing economy (unlike the rest of LATAM) right on the border with the #1 consumer. 2
by huevosabio 3y ago
I can speak for Mexico. We have so much going for it.
1. A robust manufacturing economy (unlike the rest of LATAM) right on the border with the #1 consumer.
2. A culture that is easy to digest for Americans and Europeans alike.
3. People that are welcoming of foreigners, and used to them thanks to decades of tourism.
4. A relatively educated and increasingly educated population.
5. A very comprehensive free trade agreement with the US.
6. A geopolitical environment that is pushing for "Nearshoring" and "Friendshoring".
7. A visa system that allows foreigners to live up to 4 years without paying local taxes as long as they are emplyed elsewehre.
8. A robust tourism economy.
9. A hard working culture.
In the last 5-10 years, I've seen big changes in the presence of foreigners that are in Mexico to work. Digital nomads in CDMX or in Puerto Escondido, lots of Japanese execs living in Leon, lots of foreigners buying property in small towns, labor scarcity in the border towns leading to high salaries. Really it's Mexico's time to shine.
However, we also happen to have the worst admin to handle these tailwinds. AMLO has been slowly eroding institutions, backing off from free-trade, making dumb investments and canceling obvious infra projects, flirting with the cartels.
For manufacturing, AMLO's energy counter-reforms have made access to power the main bottleneck for setting up shop in Mexico, it's just to hard to get a permit from the power company. Safety has been spiraling out of control in the areas where the cartel's dominate, and instead of pushing for the state's monopoly of violence, he has repeatedly appeased them.
I wonder what a difference it would have made to have had a more competent man sit on the presidential chair during these times.
- foobarian 3y agoWhat is the situation with cartels? I like the idea of Mexico but tbf I'm terrified of even visiting for tourism because of the shooting/kidnapping stories. For example for the '24 eclipse I'm just sticking to Texas
- gloryjulio 3y agoInterested in this too. Hope op replies
- washywashy 3y agoLots of shark attacks too
- edgyquant 3y agoNo, and not even close to the same thing.
- Jcampuzano2 3y agoAnecdotal, but I am someone who lived in Mexico as a non-citizen on a resident visa for a year or so. I have never had problems with cartels/shootings or anything of the like. But obviously this will highly depend on what activities you partake in, and where you end up visiting. The worst I have had happen is a case of pickpocketing that happened to my GF. I would obviously not recommend going to areas that are known for issues. I also recommend doing the majority of traveling to other cities via airplane if you are worried about this sort of thing. I did take plenty of busses myself but I know some people are very paranoid/worried of what can happen.
- josu 3y agoThere are 32 US cities, including Huston TX, with a higher homicide rate than Mexico City. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_homicide_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_homicide_rat... Foreigners getting kidnapped is very uncommon. It happens from time to time, although it makes it to the news and they do try to find the kidnappers. School shootings are extremely rare.
- gathersnow 3y agoI don't think that CDMX is considered a hotbed of cartel activity?
- NickC25 3y agoIt's not, atleast directly. The cartels do participate in politics but that's mainly through bribery and other white-collar illegal activities that mainly concerns politicians. Same goes for the touristy areas like Cabo and Cancun - the cartels own them all and that's a legitimate source of real, clean income (and dollars) for the cartels, and the last thing they want to do is mess with that. The cartels have a vested interest in keeping the resort towns running as smoothly and crime-free as possible.
- Ajedi32 3y agoWhy so many red flags on the State Department website then? Are you saying they're just wrong? https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/mexico-travel-advisory.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/...
- Apocryphon 3y agoThere are six states with red flags, the rest are cautionary advisories.
- Ajedi32 3y agoYeah, but compare that to, for example, our other neighbor Canada: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/canada-travel-advisory.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/...
- thorin 3y agoAround 2006 I travelled around Mexico extensively including drinking heavily and getting on tubes late at night in Mexico City and living in an apartment for a while. Had no problems whatsoever. I was hit by terrorists in Nepal and thieves in Costa Rica which everyone seems to consider safe. Maybe things have changed a lot since then, would be interesting to see the stats. I'd be way more concerned with gangs as a business person than as a tourist though, but maybe I watched Breaking Bad and Saul too much.
- moneywoes 3y agoSounds like you lived life to the fullest
- foxyv 3y agoI've talked with people outside the United States that are terrified to send their loved ones here for similar reasons. It's an old media canard to highlight the most extreme aspects of a country and hold them up as typical. When you visit a foreign country it is best to do your research. For instance, if you visit California and spend your vacation in Stockton or San Bernardino you should take some basic precautions that the natives already do. Some countries are honestly dangerous, but Mexico isn't bad for tourism unless you are actively seeking the more dangerous parts. The major problems are when you start bringing your business into the country. That is a whole new kettle of fish. At that point you need to work the system to acquire a patronage network or work with established interests.
- local_crmdgeon 3y agoMuch like the USA, violence is restricted geographically. I would not hang out in rural areas near the border. I would absolutely hang out in CDMX or Yucatan. Yucatan has a lower murder rate than most EU countries.
- huevosabio 3y agoTLDR: It really depends on where you are. Stick to the tourist and safe cities and states and you will be fine. CDMX, Yucatan, Oaxaca, and many of the frequently touristed areas are very safe. There has been increasing cartel activity in Riviera Maya (Cancun, Tulum, etc) with shootings between cartel members being more common, but AFAIK it hasn't gotten bad enough for people to feel unsafe. It's a whole different story in the states of Tamaulipas, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Colima, etc. There you have strong cartel presence and constant fighting. However, even in those states you can probably be safe if you know which areas to stick to. When I visit home (I am from Juarez, Chihuahua), I don't feel unsafe, but I do stick to the "safe" areas. Moreover, in my city, most of the violent crime is just cartel-on-cartel shootings so I don't worry about petty crime or kidnappings or what not (this was not the case back in 2008). There are states like Guanajuato where you have record numbers of homicides. But within the state you have Guanajuato city and San Miguel de Allende that are famous tourist destinations (beautiful places) and are remarkably safe.