![]() ![]() “How’s everyone – having fun? Well, we’re here to welcome you and say you can count on us for anything,” said a soldier to a table of vacationers enjoying oysters and beer in Acapulco’s La Angosta Beach. Mexico is in the top 10 most visited countries in the world and expects to earn almost $9 billion in tourist revenue during Easter Week, according to Spanish news agency EFE. The military presence is expected to last until April 16 during a peak vacation time for Mexicans and foreign tourists. The Armed Forces will also provide security at 14 airports and 42 bus stations. Another 3,800 soldiers are guarding the country’s highways.ĭefense Minister Luís Cresencio Sandoval announced that six helicopters, 755 patrol cars, 377 pickup trucks, 10 speedboats and 45 all-terrain vehicles will support the troops. The government quickly dispatched 4,724 soldiers to both cities, Tulum, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán and Veracruz. The measure is the federal government’s attempt to save Easter Week after at least eight murders on April 3 tarnished the idyllic postcard image of two major vacation destinations: Acapulco (Guerrero) and Cancun (Quintana Roo). Over 8,000 National Guard, Marine and Army soldiers have been deployed to the country’s major tourist centers. The contrast was stark in several pictures shared by Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama: two armed soldiers patrol a Cancún beach while in the background, a tourist in a black swimsuit and sun hat stands in the surf. There’s something dystopian about this picture, but it’s a reality these days on Mexico’s coasts. White sand beaches, turquoise water, designer bikinis, cold drinks, sun-tanned bodies, and a parade of machine guns and camouflage uniforms.
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