Violence in Chetumal Subdued: Belizean Ambassador Confirms Situation Stabilized

After months of uncertainty, the Belizean Embassy in Mexico says that the threat of violence from organized crime groups in the Mexican State of Quintana Roo has been neutralized. In May, acts of gun violence committed by cartel members sent shockwaves throughout the town of Chetumal, which is a favorite weekend destination for Belizeans. The incidents led to the deployment of some 200 military men to the area and caused Belizeans to question whether it was safe to visit. Since then, Belize’s Ambassador to Mexico Oscar Arnold says the gravity of the situation may have been exaggerated by the media and news reporters.

Oscar Arnold, Belize Ambassador to Mexico: “Security and the security of our Belizean nationals is always of paramount importance. But I believe what had happened was that there was a lot of hype and there was a lot of social media posts about a couple of events that happened in isolation of what normally occurs across in Chetumal. And so I traveled there over this past weekend for the opening of the honorary consul’s office and you can still see heightened security but in so far as any news item or anything in social media we have not seen anything like that again. I maintain that at that time and I maintain now that those incidents were relegated to individuals who may have been operating in the underworld and they were targets for specific events. It wasn’t an event that was happening or events that were happening over prolonged period of days. And so I was very cautious at that time when I did the interviews to mention to Belizeans that our security, whenever we’re crossing or whenever we’re visiting any country is of paramount importance but that there was supposed to be some level of calm because the authorities across the border were addressing it. They were addressing it in a very urgent matter because they understand the importance of the Belizean dollar within their local economy there in Othón  P Blanco.”

Arnold reminds citizens traveling to Mexico to take personal measures to ensure their safety.