México has been taking some hits in the international news lately.
First: It was labeled a “failed state.” Breast-beating ensued on both sides of the border as México attempted to defend herself while others backpedaled and tried not to sound racist. The drug violence was front page news in most newspapers. México expat bloggers tried to get the truth out by publishing The Truth About México.
Next: Mexico City seems to be ground zero for a possible swine flu epidemic. I say possible, because no one knows how quickly it will (or will not) spread, but it is clearly NOT business as usual here. Travel is not advised, schools nationwide are closed until May 6, and no normal civic or cultural gatherings are taking place. We are even seeing people with masks here in Mazatlán, and the paper reports that there have been no cases of swine flu here.
Then: This morning a strong earthquake hit México City, and was felt as far away as Acapulco. The quake measured 5.6 and I am sure ratcheted up anxiety level for the city that is already dealing with a potential epidemic.
This situation is hard on everyone. From the Seattle Times writer vacationing in Mexico City to parents trying to figure out child care with schools and day care centers closed. And since most cities in México are tourist destinations (some more than others), the hit from reduced tourism will be severely felt. And the trickle-down effect will hurt many more.
Mexicans are used to dealing with adversity, and I don’t doubt that the current situation will turn out fine, but at this very moment, it seems like tough times here.
Steve Cotton
April 27, 2009I am waiting for my neighbors to point out that everything was just fine until I showed up.
Michael
April 28, 2009It makes me sad. I know that it makes people wary and suspicious of Mexico up here in Canada. It also wakes up my conspiracy mind. Is Mexico being targeted by the US and Canadian media unfairly? Is there some ulterior motive? Then I start to conjecture on oil holdings and tourist dollars being spent abroad…
diane
April 28, 2009Tough times seem to be everywhere. I am especially saddened by those in Mexico. The people and the spirit of Mexico are beautiful and I wish them all the best.
laurencancun
April 28, 2009I, like most people, just can’t believe the string of bad luck hitting Mexico…. Even yesterday we were saying we definitely woulnd’t want to be in Calderon’s shoes. With everything he is dealing with let’s just add on this flu, and an earthquake….I am most disappointed in the press “Mexican Flu” is what I keep hearing….
Let’s all hope for the best 🙂
Nancy
April 29, 2009I don’t think we can blame this situation on anyone or anything, unfortunately. I think everyone down here is just trying to stay positive and hope it passes quickly.
Danny Jacks
April 30, 2009Hi Paul and Nancy, Janice and I keep up with your blog on a regular basis. We are also saddened by the recent string of bad luck that seems to have hit Mexico. I say “seems” because in my opinion there still is some kind of media driven bias against Mexico lately (especially here in the U.S.). We, like yourself are hoping that things will get back to normal very soon. Unfortunately, whenever there is a constant barrage of bad news about a certain place or country, it takes an extended period of time after the issues have subsided before tourisim returns to anything that is close to what it was before all of this happened.
One thing I have noticed is that Mexico is definately doing the right thing to control this flu bug. Can you imagine the U.S. closing its schools for an extended period of time? Or no NASCAR races to attend? Imagine the parents rage that would result from losing their tax dollar supported babysitters for their kids and them haveing to stay home from work to watch thier own kids! I just hope that the U.S. media soon finds another whipping boy to beat on other than Mexico. Hope to see you soon!