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Mexico trips still on

Some UH students are traveling to Mexico for spring break despite the State Department’s travel alert warning of an increase in drug related violence south of the border.

The State Department stopped short of warning spring breakers not to go to Mexico, but advised them to visit legitimate tourist areas and stay away from areas where prostitution and drug dealing may occur.

The travel alert says, ‘foreign bystanders have been injured or killed in violent attacks in cities across the country,’ as Mexican drug cartels are engaged in an increasingly violent conflict for control of narcotics trafficking routes.

Nutrition freshman Mario Lopez said he is not deterred by the warning.

‘I don’t know of any violence going on in Mexico near the beach so it still isn’t going to change my mind. I’m still going,’ Lopez said.

According to the State Department, more than 100,000 American teenagers and young adults travel to Mexico for spring break every year. Mexican authorities say they haven’t seen a decrease in tourism so far this year.

It is uncertain if Mexican tourism will decrease during this year’s spring break season.

Universities across the country, including Stephen F. Austin State University, Arizona’s three state universities, Penn State, Notre Dame, the University of Colorado, and the University at Buffalo, have issued warnings about traveling to Mexico for spring break.

UH has not issued an official travel warning, but UHDPS has posted a link to the State Department’s alert on their Web site.

Some concerned faculty members have issued warnings of their own.

‘My biology professor told us not to go to Mexico because it getting too violent,’ said communication freshman Blake Sanchez, who is headed to Laredo, Mexico for spring break.

More than 6,000 people were killed in drug violence in Mexico last year and more than 1,000 in the first eight weeks of 2009.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora said, ‘There is no major risk for students coming into Mexico in general terms.’

Political science junior Jesus Juarez said he is not dissuaded by media reports of an increase in violence in Mexico and will be canyoneering in Monterey, Mexico.

‘I can’t live my life in fear. I’m still going to go,’ Juarez said. ‘I’m not a target; (the violence) is cartel on cartel.’

History professor John Hart is a leading scholar on Mexican history.

‘(Mexico is) as safe as anywhere else if they use good sense, and do not go off with unknown persons or attempt to make drug deals,’ Hart said.

He said, however, the recession will dissuade some students from traveling south of the border.

Some students agree and say they think the economic downturn will prevent more students from traveling to Mexico than the potential danger.’

‘I was planning on going (to Mexico) with four other friends, but they can no longer go due to the economic issues,’ Accounting junior Alejandro Gonzales said. ‘Tourism is the most important thing to the (Mexican) government. It’s safe because they have special security for these areas.’

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