Senior ministers in Mexico have quelled fan safety fears ahead of the Fifa World Cup after the killing of a cartel boss saw violence erupt in a host city.
Members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel undertook a wave of violence across the Jalisco province after a drug lord known as “El Mencho” was killed by authorities.
The death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes in February came weeks before Guadalajara, the state’s capital, hosted Fifa qualifying tournaments, and months ahead of the Fifa World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico alongside the United States and Mexico.
Michelle Fridman, the Secretary of Tourism for Jalisco, hit back at those saying the region is not safe however.
“When people ask me if Jalisco is safe, I can tell you Jalisco is as safe as any other destination,” she told City AM. “Does that mean that I can sign a document that nothing’s going to ever happen? No, I don’t think I can do that. But I don’t think London, Paris or New York can do that.
“What I can tell you is that if we go by the numbers, the safety numbers of Jalisco are even better than destinations like New York – the homicide rate in Jalisco is three times lower than the homicide rate in New York. So I just think we have a pretty unfair coverage of what has been going on in Mexico.”
Jalisco safer than New York City
The 50,000-capacity Estadio Guadalajara will host Mexico’s game against South Korea, as well as group matches featuring Czechia, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uruguay and Spain.
The minister stated that the region is expected to get a tourism boost from the influx of fans despite the state’s existing popularity with tourists.
She insisted that the recent qualifying tournament went to plan, with Guadalajara and the wider Jalisco region set to host a multitude of sporting and cultural events over 2026.
Would the province host Iran should their team be banned from the United States this summer, where they’re set to play matches in Los Angeles and Seattle?
“I don’t know technically how that works when it’s about the World Cup and Fifa,” she added. I think that’s something only Fifa can say.
“What I can tell you is Mexico will always be open to receive anyone – we’ve shown that policy of being a welcoming country. I can tell you about tourists, maybe not about games; we’re open to receive everyone.”
With concerns in the United States surrounding visas for fans and internal deportation policies, many have suggested the only safe co-host of the upcoming World Cup is Canada. Fridman disputed this.
“I’m not denying there are situations happening in Mexico,” she concluded, “but there are in every part of the world. And what I can tell you is Mexico is friendly, it’s open, it’s a kind destination with kind people.
“People feel at home when they visit Jalisco and that’s not going to change.”
