Tragic Incident Threatens Cancún Tourism

The tragic death of a 12-year-old boy, Santiago, on a public beach in Cancún has highlighted ongoing security issues in the region. Despite the efforts of Quintana Roo's Governor, Mara Lezama, to bolster tourism, the security team under her leadership continues to face criticism.

Jesús Almaguer, president of the Mexican Caribbean Hotel Council, praised Governor Lezama's work in promoting tourism. However, he pointed out that her team has failed to address the persistent problem of insecurity. Almaguer emphasized the need for improved intelligence work and stricter legislation to combat drug dealing and related crimes.

The incident that led to Santiago's death occurred when the boy and his mother visited a public beach near one of Cancún's Riu hotels. Criminals, who had stolen jet skis, arrived at the beach and opened fire on rival drug dealers. A stray bullet hit Santiago, who was there to enjoy a Sunday at the beach with his mother.

Discussions have been ongoing for months within the framework of the C5 intelligence center to prevent such incidents. Over a year ago, there was a proposal to install cameras in beach-facing hotels to monitor drug traffickers. Hoteliers agreed to partially fund these devices, but insisted that authorities should operate them, as hotel staff were ill-equipped to handle potential retaliation from criminals.

Governor Lezama had previously stated that a security strategy would be implemented from hotel boundaries to the beaches. Bernardo Cueto, Secretary of Tourism in Quintana Roo, recently attended meetings in Washington DC with US authorities to discuss security issues.

The incident involving Santiago was not initially covered extensively by international media, as the victim was Mexican. However, interest from US media has been growing, with several reports on the incident appearing on US television networks.

Despite the incident, there has been no decline in the number of travelers from major international markets to Cancún, and hotel occupancies remain steady. However, complacency is not an option. It is essential not only to bring Santiago's killers to justice but also for state and federal authorities to work together to prevent such incidents in the future.