We are thrilled to welcome today’s guest blogger ,Patrick Osio Jr.  Patrick is the Editor and Columnist for HispanicVista.com an Internet public interest weekly publication. Patrick also writes a monthly column, The Connection, for the San Diego Metropolitan Magazine, which have garnered 5 awards from the SD Society of Professional Journalists. 

Here comes Easter break again and young people will be young people – high school and college kids will travel to distant places where the drinking age is either less than it is in the U.S. or where authorities don’t care to enforce minors’ drinking laws. For several decades Mexico has been one such place of choice where the legal drinking age is 18. Mazatlan, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun were the fly to favorite places and Rosarito Beach and Ensenada the favorite drive to places from Southern California. – But not this year, or for that matter neither was it last year. Our government and the U.S. media have convinced most Americans that Mexico is not a safe place to visit as drug traffickers are fighting it out to see which gang will have the right to sell their illicit drugs to the very group that will not be visiting Mexico. They will have to wait until they return from Easter break to get their Mexican smuggled drugs at home. But what really struck me was that the preferred country to visit this Easter break in lieu of Mexico is the Dominican Republic. It struck me because the Dominican Republic is rated as the number one country with the highest propensity for crime in the world. According to facts gathered by NationalMaster.com, their total crime per 1,000 residents (per capita) is 113.822 –Compared to the U.S. that is 8th in the world in total crimes at 80.0645 per 1000 residents, making chances of being a victim of a crime in the Dominican republic better than 10%, and slightly less than an 8% chance of being a victim in the U.S. But here is the real clunker – Mexico, the country our government tells us not to visit and the media has a field day reporting any crime be it significant or not to further put the fear of God into staying away from there – well, it ranks 39th in total crime in the world with a per capita of slightly less than 13 crimes per 1000 residents that is a 1.3% chance of being a victim of crime in Mexico. So Mexico is out, Dominican Republic is in, yet the chances of being a crime victim there is greater than in the U.S. and the chances of being a crime victim in the U.S. is greater than in Mexico. But, for our own safety we need to stay out of Mexico.
Have you ever felt like you’re being duped but you can’t quite put your finger on why – what’s the motive? Is it to keep us from facing some bitter truths?  We keep reading how crime is down, how safe we are compared to most other parts of the world. But is it true? 

So here are some multiple choice questions for you: 

1. Which country has a higher crime rate per 1,000 residents?
a. Mexico, b. Germany, c. Canada, d.  U.S. 

2. Which country has the highest murders with firearms?
a. Mexico, b. El Salvador, c. U.S. 

3. Of the following countries, which has the least number of drug offenses?
a. Germany, b. United Kingdom, c. Canada, d. Switzerland, e. Mexico 

4. Which country has the most prisoners?
a. United States, b. China, c. Russia, d. India, e. Mexico 

(Answers: 1. d. U.S., 2. c. U.S., 3. e.  Mexico,  4. a. U.S.-  Source: http://www.nationmaster.com) 

In one of the only bright spots due to its recent gang related murders, Mexico, on a per capita, ranks as more dangerous than the U.S. occupying No. 24 and Mexico No. 6 in the world, but in total number of murders the U.S. is No. 5 and Mexico No. 6. In fact, much of the crime data per capita 1000 population suggests that in many respects Mexico is safer than the U.S.: in assaults the U.S. ranks No. 6, Mexico No. 20; burglaries the U.S. No. 17, Mexico No. 34; car thefts U.S. No. 9, Mexico No. 22; fraud U.S. No. 18, Mexico No. 29; Rape (Canada No.5), U.S. No. 9, Mexico No. 17. No doubt that at the expense of Mexico we are being duped. Is it to hide our insatiable appetite for illicit drugs and cheap labor, and so by pointing the finger of guilt to the biggest supplier of both we exculpate our actions or at minimum pacify our own guilt?
Maybe it’s time for “the home of the free, and land of the brave” to take note. 

 Street Cameras to Expand Public & Private Surveillance

GUADALAJARA, JALISCO (15/MAR/2011). – The Guadalajara City Council issued a regulation of video serveillance to regulate this activity in the municipality for the purpose of ensuring public safety’s access authority over all the images are captured, but prioritizes the rights of citisens in their identity and privacy on these visual records. Authorities and companies who wish to install these systems in public and private spaces open to the public, they must request authorization from the Committe on Video surveillance of Guadalajara (to be created with the regulations), chairman of the mayor himself. Considered for endorsement to the location of the cameras, even in private places, it is also useful for public safety.

The regualtion gives the authorities in Guadalajara cameras and private providers of these services, video surveillance, the obligation to provide its records and give notice to the president, whenever they detedt the capture of a crminal offense punishable act, or administrative violations related to public security (Articles 24 & 29). Once this material in their hands, the mayor “shall submit draft copy of the recording to the Public Ministry within a period not exceeding 24 hours, and inform the Committee”, and so will always have to find a recording elements useful for the investigation of offenses (Article 23). A recording in Guadalajara, whether owned by goverment or private, must be destroyed within 180 days, unless it relates to some research on public safety. This will fulfill an obligation of the person who generated it is his responsibility to both the receipt and destination of the material (Article 28).

One of the main objectives of the regulation is the recognition and protection of the rights of peopple in their image and privacy. This body of law, therefore, is the principle that: ” Any recording in which he information”, while “the recordings in which there appears some an identfied or identifiable natural person, have the character of classified information.” Thus, any person named in a recording can access it and request cancellation, says Article 32, which shall be by petition to the mayor, who shall, in turn, the material to the authority or company that has video-taped to the public. Images must be submitted to the Mator within 72 hours.

Likewise, they can also access recording of public bodies or private citizens, “reasonably” consider evidence that may have taken an event that has hurt some of its properties. The Guadalajara City Council regulation also stipulates that citizens have a right to know what spaces are made of video-surveillance work and the authority or company that holdsm, therefore, permission to install these systems carry the obligation placing pictorial ads that read “this place is video-secure” but will not be required to pinpoint the exact location of the chambers (Article 30).

Another most important purposes behind the regulation of video surveillance in Guadalajara, is located in the project to create a clearinghouse of information for the Secretariat of Public Safety. He explains the author of the initiative and chairman of the Committee of Public Safety and Socail Prevention, Karlos Machado Magaña.

“The city of Guadalajara has very few video surveillance cameras few video surveillance cameras for the protection of citizens, so that, in a joint excerise with the public, we intend to access these images, we try to have a database of list of cameras in the city, where they are located and which ones we use in the exercise of public safety.”

El Informador Newspaper, National, Pagina 3-A, March 15, 2011

Mexico opportunity for forward thinkers

 At the South by Southwest Interactive Festival in March, I gave a talk entitled “Why Mexico Will Change Your Life.” I believe Mexico’s future is at least as important to the United States’ future as any other country’s — far more important than Iraq or Afghanistan, and likely more important than India or China. Why do I believe this? 

First, the U.S. and Mexico are attached at the hip. 

Our economies are tightly linked with some of the biggest exchanges of trade in the world. Mexico is the second-biggest buyer of U.S. exports — $163 billion in 

2010 — after Canada, more than runner-ups China and Japan combined. Meanwhile, we spent $230 billion with Mexico, behind only China and Canada, and almost double that of fourth-place Japan. 

We have a long common border and long shared history, including shared European, 

Native American and Christian cultural traditions. And according to the Census Bureau, the U.S. population is projected to add about 500,000 white, non-Hispanics from now through 2050, while we will add about 74 million Hispanics, even assuming relatively low rates of cross-border migration. The U.S. will increasingly become a Latin nation. 

Second, if Mexico does badly, it will hurt the U.S. almost more than anything we can imagine in the Middle East. If it does well, there will be no better news for the U.S. 

On the pessimistic side, some predict Mexico will become a failed state, with its president unable to travel to certain regions and lacking control over parts of the country. The federal government would be a sham. 

On the optimistic side, Mexico’s population will increase from 112 million people today to 150 million people by 2050. It will be a hard-working, prosperous nation driven by a large, educated middle class. It will be wonderful for the U.S. to have a strong neighbor. Mexico will be one of most preferred countries for building factories and making things, a giant market to sell things into, and an even more important tourist destination. I have spent my life trying to see about 20 years into the future, and this is the Mexico that I predict, having visited 11 of Mexico’s 31 states. 

Last year I spoke to more than 3,000 students there. In January, I took a 22-hour bus ride to Mexico City and spent a week wandering the streets of that giant metropolis. I also spoke with political scientists, economists, and other authors and thinkers. I also devour every book I can find with data about Mexico. Here are some of my data points: 

n Mexico City. This is one of the world’s greatest cities and probably the most underestimated one, at least in the U.S. It reportedly has the most museums of any city on earth, and I believe that based on the 28 museums and historic sites within a few blocks of my hotel. I have lived in New York and Chicago, and visited Washington, New Orleans and Detroit many times. I believe I was safer walking around Mexico City than I would be in those great U.S. cities. They have very advanced and nonpolluting public transportation, including a massive bicycle sharing system. The food and the music in Mexico City are world-class. And it’s all a bargain; my very nice, safe, spotless hotel two blocks from the Alameda Park cost $37 a night. 

n Infrastructure. Everywhere you travel in Mexico, you see new toll roads, new free roads and new universities. Everyone seems to be in school. Some of the more-talked about nations are behind Mexico in these important regards. 

n Doing business. The World Bank just came out with its 2011 edition of Doing Business, which rates nations on the ease of starting up and doing business. The U.S. ranks No. 5, Mexico No. 35, China No. 79 and India No. 134. Mexico also far outshines China and India in most measures of economic freedom. Mexico also presents much shorter shipping distances into the U.S., which is of increasing importance amid rising fuel prices. 

n Large and vibrant economy. The Economist magazine predicts the Mexican economy will grow 3.0 percent in 2011, compared with 1.5 percent for the U.S. Chile, Peru and Colombia will grow even faster, leading the Western Hemisphere. Mexico has a low rate of inflation. Per capita income, adjusted for purchasing power parity, is $16,000, putting Mexico among the highest in Latin America, double that of China and more than four times that of India. Total gross domestic product, also adjusted to parity, is about $1.8 trillion. 

n Most trends are going the right way. The share of Mexicans owning their home rose from 64 percent in 1950 to 79 percent in 2000. From 2002 to 2009 alone, the number of Mexicans with credit cards boomed from 6.4 million to 24.6 million. 

None of this is to deny that Mexico has issues, but history shows us that drug wars and gang power passes. 

I believe the massive investments and energy invested by smart companies such as United Continental Holdings Co., HEB, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and others indicates that other future thinkers see the same future I see. Bayer AG, Colgate-Palmolive Co. and Coca-Cola Co. were 100 years ahead on this vision. Whether or not you have affection for Mexico’s culture or people, as a businessperson you owe it to yourself to visit the nation and think hard about opportunities buying and selling there. 

And if, like me, you really love Mexico, then that’s icing on the cake. You will find wonderful beaches, great people, delicious food, deep culture and heritage, some of the world’s best year-round weather, and some of the nicest people and best hospitality found anywhere — all at a decent price, to boot. 

To a greater degree than most people realize, if Mexico fails, the U.S. will stumble; if Mexico becomes what I see, then the U.S. will be more prosperous. Mexico’s future is primarily in the Mexican people’s hands. But U.S. entrepreneurs, exporters, importers, education and service companies, and tourists can all play a role in shaping the future of this great nation with so much potential and importance to our country’s prosperity. 

Gary Hoover is founder of Bookstop and Hoovers Inc. and a former entrepreneur-in-residence at the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Texas. 

Travel Safety in Perspective: USA vs. Mexico