There’s one extra-horrifying detail the press didn’t notice: Guanajuato, for many years now, has had the reputation as Mexico’s safest state.
It’s a bulwark, chaos all around it, but high in its mountain and stone quarry redoubt, perfectly safe, at least until now. When Mexico took on its cartels in 2006 with the election of conservative President Felipe Calderon, much of Mexico was mired in violence as Calderon battled the drug cartels openly. Through at least 2016, Guanajuato was remained untouched, its main city of Guanajuato a wonderful safe haven for tourists to visit, not too luxurious, authenticity galore, picturesque, pleasant and interesting, same as the little towns around it.
In addition, it’s a conservative state, hyper conservative, the only Latin places with so many conservatives might be found in parts of Colombia and Chile. Ferociously conservative as only Latins can be, not just pro-market but socially conservative.
A 2010 piece from the New York Times condemned the main city for enforcing its anti-abortion laws.
None of these positives have been enough to protect this state. The story’s changed now. Whether this problem spills over our country and creates the same conditions remains to be seen.
Or it could be safe in the same way Bensonhurst, Ozone Park,Arthur Ave were safe in NYC even in the craziest of times.