Mexico’s high homicide numbers during the first two months of 2019 have prompted the world’s largest medical and travel security services firm to issue a warning to the companies it advises.

International SOS (ISOS) said in a travel advisory that the increase in the number of murders is reflective of persistent security risks in the country.

“According to government statistics, close to 5,000 homicides were recorded at a national level during January and February, representing an increase of 13.5% in comparison with the same period of 2018,” the company said.

“The change in the rate reflects the significant and persistent risks of crime despite the promises of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to improve security in the country,” the warning continued.

ISOS, which counts almost two-thirds of the world’s 500 biggest companies among its clients, noted that López Obrador has “inherited” a difficult security situation from his predecessors.

The states of Baja California, Chihuahua, Colima, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Tabasco, México, Michoacán, Morelos, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Veracruz are the highest risk areas of the country, the warning said.

ISOS acknowledged that tourists are rarely the direct targets of criminal groups but warned that the rising homicide rate could cause an increase in confrontations between criminals and security forces in public spaces.

With regard to personal safety, the company warned that “if you are approached by a criminal, assume that the aggressor is armed and don’t do anything to resist or confront” that person.

“Such crimes can turn deadly due to the wide availability of firearms,” ISOS added.

Source: Reforma (sp)