Principle health and safety facts for Parties interested in visiting Mexico to participate in our Global Health Programs.

1. 1. There are 112,000.000 people who live in Mexico.
   2. There are more than 1,000,000 US citizens who live in Mexico.
   3. More than 150,000 US Citizens cross the border by ground every day.
   4. There are have been more than 20,000,000 US visitors to Mexico by air every year.
   5. In 2012, The Murder Rate in Mexico City ( population 22,000,000) was 1/3rd that of Washington DC.
   6. The number of U.S. citizens reported to the Department of State as murdered in Mexico was 113 in 2011 and 71 in 2012 (most of them in the Drug trade).

US State Department Travel Info

Without question, there are prevalent security concerns in some areas of Mexico. The program directors at Centro Pace and MedSpanish understand that there is a risk traveling to Mexico, much as there are risks with traveling in the US and elsewhere. Nonetheless, it is perfectly understandable to want as much information as possible before deciding to venture down to San Miguel, or any of our other sites: Guanajuato City, Oaxaca,and San Cristobal las Casas, Chiapas.
One great source of information for those interested in safety threats can be found in the constantly updated US State Department Travel Warnings.
Also from the US State Department:

Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year for study, tourism, and business, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day. More than 20 million U.S. citizens visited Mexico in 2012. The Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors to major tourist destinations, and there is no evidence that Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) have targeted U.S. visitors and residents based on their nationality. Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime that is reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes.
Nevertheless, U.S. travelers should be aware that the Mexican government has been engaged in an extensive effort to counter TCOs which engage in narcotics trafficking and other unlawful activities throughout Mexico. The TCOs themselves are engaged in a violent struggle to control drug trafficking routes and other criminal activity. Crime and violence are serious problems and can occur anywhere. U.S. citizens have fallen victim to criminal activity, including homicide, gun battles, kidnapping, carjacking and highway robbery. While most of those killed in narcotics-related violence have been members of TCOs, innocent persons have also been killed. The number of U.S. citizens reported to the Department of State as murdered in Mexico was 113 in 2011 and 71 in 2012.

For further information, please visit the Bureau of Consular Affairs website.

Additional Health and Safety Facts in Mexico

As evidenced above, one's attributable risk for visiting Mexico is extremely low. Clearly, it is always a good idea to avoid trouble and high risk situations. Many border areas and big cities have very problematic areas ( just as in the US). Doing research before a trip is extremely useful, as is establishing a goos relationship with those who will meet you upon arrival.

Using this handy tool, you can compare Crime and Safety Indexes between various countries

With this tool you can compare crime and safety indexes between your city and those cities in other countries. Mexico and the US are actually quite similar.

In this article, one finds that the murder rate in the US is higher than almost all other developed countries.

Health and Safety in San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende is located in central Mexico and is largely insulated from the levels of crime reported in the border region. San Miguel has approximately ten thousand expat residents and many thousands more foreign visitors a year, and very few ever become victims of a crime. However, as in any foreign country, visitors should remain alert and be aware of their surroundings at all times. Still the numbers provided in the database sampling below show that San Miguel is a very safe city, in comparison to other US cities.