MEXICO: 4 Cab Drivers Murdered In San Miguel de Allende

Drug violence may be behind the killing of four taxi drivers in the picturesque central Mexican town of San Miguel de Allende, a popular tourism destination that is home to thousands of American retirees, authorities said Thursday.

Mayor Ricardo Villarreal said that while the investigation into the Wednesday night slayings was continuing, the bloodshed appeared to be a "score settling" within the world of street-level drug sales.

Villarreal said in an interview with Radio Formula that because San Miguel is a tourist destination, it is prone to small-scale drug sales.

Saying the city remains a safe place, he said the four slain taxi drivers were targeted, not the victims of random attacks. He said the drivers apparently were all called to the location on the town's outskirts where they were killed in their cabs.

A statement from the city said two other men were wounded.

Mexico has struggled with increased drug gang violence in some of its most popular tourism spots. Killings and attacks have occurred recently in Cancun, Zihuatanejo and Los Cabos, though the attacks have not targeted tourists.

San Miguel de Allende is a city and municipality located in the far eastern part of the state of Guanajuato in central Mexico. It is part of the macroregion of Bajío. It is 274 km (170 mi) from Mexico City and 97 km (60 mi) from the state capital of Guanajuato.Historically, the town is important as being the birthplace of Ignacio Allende, whose surname was added to the town’s name in 1826, as well as the first municipality declared independent of Spanish rule by the nascent insurgent army during the Mexican War of Independence.

The city has been known by various names since the Spanish founded the settlement. It was called Izcuinapan by the indigenous peoples. The Spanish originally called it San Miguel el Grande and sometimes San Miguel de los Chichimecas. San Miguel refers to the founder of the city, Father Juan de San Miguel.The name of the town was changed in 1826 to San Miguel de Allende in order to honor Ignacio Allende, who was born here.

The surrounding municipality is officially called Allende, both seat and municipality are called San Miguel (de Allende). The municipality has a coat of arms that was designed by a group called Amigos de San Miguel, but it has not been officially recognized.

The layout of the center of the city is mostly a straight grid, which was favored by the Spanish during colonial times. However, due to the terrain, many roads are not straight. There are no parking meters, no traffic signals and no fast food restaurants.These roads are lined with colonial era homes and churches.

With a few exceptions, the architecture is domestic rather than monumental, with well-tended courtyards and rich architectural details.The houses have solid walls against the sidewalks, painted in various colors, many with bougainvillea vines falling down the outside and the occasional iron-grated window. Many of the larger structures have large front doors which used to be used by horses and carriages.

The town is noted for its streetscapes with narrow cobblestone lanes, that rise and fall over the hilly terrain, and occasionally defy colonial attempts to make a straight grid. It is still a small city, and at night, many wander the narrow streets with relative safety.The people on the streets are a mix of Mexicans, foreigners and indigenous. Its cultural and artistic reputation has brought many people from Mexico and abroad here to live. Several publications have named it one of the top 10 places to retire.

About half of the colonial buildings have been partially or fully converted into businesses such as stores, restaurants, galleries, workshops and hotels. Since there is no zoning, residential and commercial establishments are well-mixed. Although it is small and rural, it has a wide variety of upscale and ethnic restaurants, specialty shops and art galleries. All around the historic center there are over 80 bars and cantinas as well as various nightclubs. To compete, many offer two-for-one drink specials.Others rely on gimmicks such as the frontier themed bar on Mesones Street called “El Gato” with swinging cantina doors like those seen on “Old West” movies.

Despite being less than five percent of the total municipal population, foreign residents have considerable cultural and economic impact. Most foreign residents are retirees from the United States, Canada and Europe attracted by the mild climate, cultural opportunities and low crime. It is only a ten-hour drive to the U.S. border.Many of the home buyers are from this segment of the population as well. Estimates of foreign residents range from 5,000 to 8,000 with at least half of these from the United States.

Outside of the main town and in these smaller communities are the municipality's indigenous groups, mostly Otomi and Nahuas. The Otomi are the largest group, accounting for just under 38% of the municipal population. The Nahuas follow at about 20%. Other groups include the Mazahua, Huasteca and Purépecha. However, according to the 2005 Census, only 355 people speak an indigenous language.

Due to its growth as a tourist destination, some of the most obvious culture seen on the streets of the town relates to visitors, both foreign and Mexican. To cater to these visitors, the town contains organic cafes, boutiques, art galleries, upscale restaurants and hotels, and a wide variety of bars and nightclubs.Bars and nightclubs range from DJs or loud bands catering to young people, to jazz clubs, sports bars and even those that specialize in traditional Mexican music such as mariachi.

Some were founded by foreigners and reflect that ownership, for example the Berlin Bar & Bistro.Shops around the Jardin Principal sell art, handcrafts, furniture and decorative items. The Fabrica La Aurora is an old textile mill that has been converted into galleries and shops selling art, furnishings and antiques; it has a lot of open space along with a café and restaurant.

Many of the festivals here are purely Mexican, combining social activity with religious expression. Throughout the year there are pilgrimages, all-night vigils, ringing church bells, processions and fireworks. The largest celebration of the year is that of the town's patron saint, the Archangel Michael. The angel's feast day is 29 September, but festivities take place for an entire week. Activities include private parties, sporting events, cultural events, indigenous dance and more.

The week is popularly called the Fiestas de San Miguel de Allende. An event, now discontinued for safety concerns, was the "Sanmiguelada", a running of the bulls event similar to that in Pamplona.Youths fill the streets showing off their "matador" talents in front of the bulls.The finale is a parade through the street in honor of Michael and a fireworks "castle" competition to see who can build the most elaborate frame from which fireworks are lit.

Holy Week begins with a exhibition of altars dedicated to the Virgin of Sorrows and end with the Procession of Silence.Prior to the Procession of Silence, there is a reenactment of the judgment of Jesus by Pontius Pilate, on one side of the San Miguel Parish. Then the procession begins, which represents the fourteen scenes of the Passion before his crucifixion.

Many of the townspeople participate in the event, with children dressed as angels and adults in period clothing carrying statues of Jesus. The procession winds its way along the main streets of the historic center completely in silence.Another large religious celebration is the feast of Nuestro Señor de la Columna.

There are also secular, cultural festivals during the year. The annual Festival de Música de Cámara or Chamber Music Festival occurs each year in August in the city's historic center. One of the purposes of the event is to bring this type of music to streets and other public venues as well as traditional concert halls such as the event's home of the Angela Peralta Theater.

The 2009 edition had over 100 singers invited to various events, three major conferences, and instrument exhibition and ten classes taught by prominent persons in the field. Some of the groups invited that year included Yale Glee Club, the Cuerdas Amernet Cuartet, the Alientos de Bellas Artes Trio, soprano Guadalupe Jimenez and pianist Natasha Tarasova .

San Miguel de Allende has long had a reputation as a haven for visual artists. Since the 1950s, when Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros worked there, it has attracted professional and amateur painters, sculptors and printmakers to the classes and workshops frequently held.

In addition to two major art institutions (Instituto Allende and Bellas Artes), artists and art venues can be seen in various parts of the town. One notable art gallery is the Galería Manuel Chacon, which carries contemporary art.On the streets, it is not unusual to see someone sketching people on the street or selling their own work.

Much of the municipality's economy is now tied to the influx of tourists and foreigners who come to live, mostly retirees. In 2002, 250,000 visitors spent about 8.4 million USD at the town's attractions, but those who live here contribute far more to the economy.Most of this is concentrated in the town of San Miguel proper.

Hotel occupancy typically reaches 80% on weekends with about 50% occupancy on weekdays, when rates can be about half. Most visitors are vacationers and about 60% are domestic visitors, interested in the town's history and role in the Mexican War of Independence. Another attraction for visitors are the two main art/cultural institutions of Instituto Allende and Bellas Artes as well as a number of Spanish language schools.

Most domestic visitors come from Mexico's large urban centers like Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Queretaro. This growth has spurred the development of newer hotels, resort and vacation home developments, especially on the corridor between San Miguel and Atotonilco.There are 149 hotels, nine of which are 5-star. The town has just over 9% of all hotel rooms in the state, and this percentage is growing. Another important sector is restaurants.

In 2006, the town invested 800,000 pesos to implement an online marketing plan to increase services to potential tourists. The town now has presence on Facebook and Twitter.

Outside of the town of San Miguel, the economy is more traditional. A bit over half of the land is used for grazing with 37% used for crops. Over 80% of the crops are grown during the rainy season with less than 20% grown on irrigated lands. Forestry is minimal. Agriculture produces 25% of the employment in the municipality. Principal crops include corn, beans, wheat, and alfalfa, which account for 84% of harvests.

Another important agricultural activity is fruit orchards. The most important livestock is domestic fowl, especially poultry. The municipality raises over 12% of the state's chickens. Another important product is honey, of which the municipality provides 7.5% of the state’s total.

MEXICO: Desert Peaks National Monument in Las Cruces Attracts Thousands Of Tourists

New Mexico's Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument in Las Cruces came under particular scrutiny this year after the Trump administration announced it was part of a review of monuments nationwide to see if they needed to be modified.

Three years since former President Barack Obama declared the area a national monument, the Las Cruces Sun-News crunched the numbers and found it has brought in anywhere between $8-34 million to the local economy.

Celerah Hewes, executive director of Albuquerque-based Thoughtfully Produced told Albuquerque Business First in May taking away the state's monument designations would negatively impact her organization's bottom line.

Hewes was one of over 180 business owners statewide who signed a letter sent to the New Mexico Congressional Delegation protesting the executive order. The letter was sponsored by Partnership for Responsible Business along with the New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce.

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, whose district encompasses the monument, is the only member of the New Mexico Congressional Delegation to oppose its designation, and the only Republican that is part of the delegation.

Pearce told the Las Cruces Sun-News the designation drove away a chile-based off-roading event that he said drew $4 million a year to the region.

Overall, the number of visitors to New Mexico and the dollars they spend have been growing year over year. About 34 million people visited New Mexico in 2015, according to a 2016 report released by the New Mexico Tourism Department.

The study said one in 12 jobs in New Mexico is sustained by visitor spending, and tourism generated $629 million in state and local taxes in 2015.

In 2016, 1.9 million people visited national parks in New Mexico, spending an estimated $108.4 million in local economies. According to a National Park Service report, the state’s national parks supported 1,700 jobs and had $132.4 million in economic output, up from $90.9 million in 2012.

Acapulco is the most famous Destination of Mexico with International level, thanks to the natural beauty environment, golden sand, tropical weather, warm sea water and its people.

Sea lovers find this destination so attractive obviously, but it is more than that, it has more attractions to satisfy all preferences for all ages, however.

In the Quebrada, which is a rock formation of 35 meters height over the seashore, you can see the cliff divers’ performance, at night lighted with torches.

La Serpiente emplumada, Diego Rivera´s mural painting, is exhibited in La Casa de los Vientos.

You will remember the majestic sea in Barra Vieja.

In Coyuca Lagoon, observe the different orange and red tones colors at sunset.

In Pie de La Cuesta, the continuous rhythm of the sea will accompany you while walking.

In Acapulco, you find the night cultural life with contrasting beaches, together, where you can swing, take a walk or enjoy the sunset.

It is an appealing fishermen village that offers you a familiar and safe environment, whose main attraction is its beautiful and highly protected bay just a few kilometers from the hotel zone. You can enjoy the clear and peaceful waters of the bay.

Ixtapa is a place surrounded by a mountain range that descends to the sea and frames this wonderful town.

Here you will enjoy a traditional atmosphere and peaceful environment that several beaches offer you in order to relax, or find activities such as sport fishing or bird watching and as a great closure for these activities, trying a fish that cannot be fresher.

The Mexican Caribbean offers warm waters in turquoise blue tones and fine sand beaches, where you will find a land blessed with a contrasting ecosystem.

Among the tropical forest, the wetlands, the white sand beaches, the coral reefs, the abundant wildlife and the wonderful archaeological sites, is the Costa Maya, which runs from Punta Herreros to Xcalak; close to the magical town of Bacalar, the pristine beach of Mahahual and the City of Chetumal.

It is the ideal place to practice alternative tourism and to really get in touch with the Mayan culture, since many of the communities here still maintain their ancestral traditions.

But if you are aiming to relax, its incredibly beautiful beaches are waiting for you; as many of them are pretty solitary.

For those looking for family activities, they will find diving and snorkeling areas in world-class coral reefs, magical towns, cultural values and traditions preserved for hundreds of years, dazzling nature that will make the most indifferent of humans dream with forests, jungles, lagoons and cenotes. Many of them suitable for bathing and swimming.

Playa del Carmen is one of the favorite destinations for vacation, especially in summer, according to Trip Advisor, as it is an idyllic place located in the heart of the Riviera Maya with fine white sand and blue-green waters, you will always find a Hammock and an umbrella to sunbathe and rest, especially in the edge of town that offers the quietest beach areas.

If you prefer action, in Playa del Carmen you will find water activities such as windsurfing, jet skis, kayaking or diving in the impressive Mayan coral reef.

Great musicians of Mexican and international jazz offer concerts every year.

The beauty of the beaches and the many activities that Playa del Carmen has for you will force you to come back.

MEXICO: Troubles In Mexico Tourism

For a country that generates roughly 10% of its GDP from tourism, mostly from Americans, Mexico's surging violent crime rates, courtesy of its notoriously brutal drug cartels, is quickly becoming a 'yuge' economic issue. As we recently noted, more Americans have been killed while traveling abroad in Mexico than any other country, by a staggering margin, no less.

And while Mexico would love to shake it's bad rap when it comes to violence, the negative datapoints just continue to pile up. The latest such data comes courtesy of Mexico's car insurance association Amis, which found that auto thefts spiked in March 2017 by over 20% and current stand at multi-year highs.

In March, the number of auto thefts rose 21 percent from the same month a year earlier, according to numbers from the car insurance association known as Amis. Meanwhile, the recovery rate -- the percentage of stolen cars that police were able to recover -- dropped to its lowest since at least 2005.

The car-theft trend “will continue throughout the second quarter which will, in turn, have an impact on first-half returns," Francisco Uriostegui, an analyst at Moody’s who helped write the report, said in an interview. “In the end, it’s the customer that will have to pay more, for a higher premium and it’ll be due to a drop in the recovery rate for these vehicles."

And while auto thefts may not seem all that threatening, it is just another datapoint that suggests an alarming trend in overall violence in a country that already leads the U.S. State Department's ranking for most travel warnings.

Oddly enough, no amount of State Department warnings have yet caused Americans to curb their appetite for those cheap Cabo vacations.

A lone shooter fired on a crowd at a nightclub in Playa del Carmen, site of the BPM electronic music festival in Mexico early Monday, leaving at least five people dead and at least a dozen more injured, according to a statement released by festival organizers. Local news reports suggest that the shooting came after a 'disagreement' and is connected to ongoing drug cartel wars in the area.

The rampage occurred inside the Blue Parrot nighclub in Playa del Carmen at about 2:30 a.m. local time, according to a statement by the attorney general of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.

Playa del Carmen is a popular tourist destination not far from Cancun. Among the dead are four men and a woman. Two of those who died were part of a security team, the statement said. According to preliminary reports, three of the dead are foreigners.

According to the Mail, London-based promoter Elrow was hosting a closing 'This Is The End' party at the Blue Parrot when the shooting occurred, and it is believed that many attendees at the event were British and American tourists.

Tourists at the scene have revealed the chaos that ensued during the shooting, and how many initially believed that they heard fireworks or music - not gunshots.

The government of the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo, where Playa del Carmen is located, said four men were shot to death and one woman died in a fall during the confusion and stampede that ensued. An additional 15 people were wounded, and one of them was in very serious condition.

It is with great sadness to share that police have confirmed reports of a lone shooter outside the Blue Parrot nightclub in Playa Del Carmen earlier today, which resulted in four fatalities and twelve injured.

The violence began on 12th street in front of the club and three members of the BPM security team were among those whose lives were lost while trying to protect patrons inside the venue. a statement early Monday by the BPM festival said.

The BPM Festival is an annual 10-day electronic music festival started in 2008. This year, it was scheduled to last from Jan. 6 to Jan. 15. The shooting occurred on the last night of festivities.

The Blue Parrot is one of the venues at the 10-day festival in Playa del Carmen, a tourist destination that has largely been spared the violence that has hit other parts of Mexico. Several festivalgoers took to Twitter to post videos and document the attack as it unfolded.

The shooting occurred inside and not from the beach, which is where the nightclub opens up to.

Rodolfo Del Angel, director of police in the state of Quintana Roo, said that the shooting was the result of 'a disagreement between people inside' the nightclub and said security guards had come under fire when they tried to contain the dispute.

'For the moment we have indications that one person opened fire,' Mayor Torres added. She said the shooting appeared to have taken place inside the club, causing people to flee in panic. Other witnesses said it happened outside the club.

Hector Escardo Steck, from Los Angeles, California, told MailOnline that the club was full when the gunman attacked.

He said: 'It was awful, the club was completely full and at around 2am we heard ten successive gunshots and people immediately hit the floor. Just after that the music stopped and everyone started running in a panic.

'There is a tall fence between the club and the beach and everyone started trying to climb over that. A lot of people got hurt in the attempt top club over, because people were panicking and trying to get away. It was terrifying.

'I was at the back of the club, so I didn't see anyone get shot, but 20 minutes later in the streets I saw a lot of dead bodies being guarded by police officers. People were running everywhere, jumping, punching, running. 'The party had been going since noon, and everyone in the club was either drunk or on drugs, and there was a lot of confusion. 'In Playa del Carmen you see drugs in quantities that you have never seen before, and everyone is drugged up so it was a very confusing experience that no one was expecting. People were very angry and confused, but mainly angry.'

Local news reports suggest that the incident is connected to ongoing drug cartel wars in the area, and the gunman is believed to still be at large.

Partier George de Menezes said that he and his friends were just two meters from the gunman when the shooting occurred.

He said: 'No one took it seriously, but I knew straight away that it was a gun and dropped to the floor, then everyone dropped with me. 'The music stopped and so did the shots, so we got up and one man was down on the floor and looked dead, and another man had been shot but was trying to stay on his feet.' De Menezes said that people in the club tried to escape by running to the beach, but shots kept being fired

'Finally got out from there and got up to the Main Street and there was another man dead on the street, so everyone started running for their lives,' he said. The reveler said that he and friends heard more shots when they finally got back to their hotel.

Los Angeles resident Jake Lubelski wrote on Facebook that he was 20 feet away from the gunman when the shooting took place. 'I was standing outside of a club on an insanely crowded street when it happened; I was maybe 20 feet away from the shooter,' he wrote. 'As soon as I heard gun shots, everyone started bolting and we nearly got trampled by the frantic herds of people.

'As soon as I turned around the corner and got a look at the scene, I saw a man lying on the floor in his own blood. it could have been me.'

Scottish DJ Jackmaster issued a warning on Twitter saying, 'Stay in your f*****g hotels' following the shooting. The DJ, whose real name is Jack Revill, tweeted about the incident just after 3am local time.

'Someone has come into the club in Playa Del Carmen and opened fire. 4-5 dead and many wounded. Stay in ur f****n hotel if you're here at BPM,' he wrote. 'Apparently now more shots fired at another club in the area.'

A worker at CostaMed hospital in Playa del Carmen said that a man and a woman were admitted to the hospital at 3.39am local time.

A second shooting was reported at the club The Jungle, where another BPM closing party featuring John Acquaviva, Stacey Pullen and David Berrie was taking place. Videos on Instagram show people running through the streets of Playa Del Carmen following the shooting.

Images shared on social media showed people cowering or running down the street.

Mexican police have confirmed the mass shooting but have not given motive for the gunfire. They have not reported any arrests.

'We are seeking information from emergency services in Mexico, following reports of a shooting in Playa del Carmen,' a Foreign Office spokesman said. Neither US nor Canadian officials could immediately confirm if any of their citizens were among the victims in the shooting.