The situation in Jalisco

Thank you for this update, Lane. The video I have seen is pretty concerning.

Lane, thank you for posting this update. I hope things remain quiet where you are.

Are you aware of the travel.state.gov website? The Jalisco state is currently a level 3 – reconsider travel: https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/mexico.html#safetysecurity. I highly suggest that you do this when you begin planning a trip and enroll in STEP so you can stay informed: https://mytravel.state.gov/s/step.

Lane, thank you for the update. The Arizona press somewhat follows Mexico, but I really appreciate your first-hand account. Hope your town remains quiet and safe.

Lane, stay safe!

Thanks for reporting in! I thought of you when I read the news today.

Take care and hopefully this resolves quickly.

Sorry I didn’t see anything on the news cause it’s all about the snowstorm.
Stay safe Lane, hopefully things will calm down soon.

Lane take care. I hope you and your boyfriend stay safe.

Lane,

Have you heard anything about Oaxaca? It's on the US advisory list as well.

-- Mike Beebe

Thanks for all the good wishes. Staying safe. Took my dog for a walk this morning, but didn't venture to the malecón. I did pass one grocery store that was open (and doing a brisk business). Otherwise, streets are still quiet. My house is on a bus route, and I'm just a block from the main highway through town where buses and trucks typically rumble by. I haven't heard any traffic noise at all.

I don't have any inside information about other parts of Mexico. Only what the news reports are saying: "a wave of violence across 20 Mexican states." For context, there are a total of 31 states in Mexico plus CDMX. I have no idea which 20 states are affected and which are not.

Have you heard anything about Oaxaca?

I am with a tour, today traveling from Puebla to the city of Oaxaca. All is calm on the roads, no closures. The toll stations are open and charging their fees as usual. The rest stops and shops are open.

Our hotel in the historic center of Oaxaca is open and expecting us.

The tour that is one week behind us was not able to continue on their route to Morelia. They had to turn around and go back to Mexico City.

I read an article this morning, and I can't remember where it was (I think the NYT but I can't find it now), that said that in Puerto Vallarta, anyone on the road is being pulled out of their cars and the vehicles are then set on fire. Fortunately, nobody is being hurt; in fact, the article mentioned that the offenders were being careful not to hurt anyone, so I suppose that's good. They interviewed a few of the American residents who said they are thinking about temporarily leaving town.

I'm glad it's quiet in your town, Lane. Quiet is a good thing. 😊

Lane, I wondered if you were affected. Thank you for the update and stay safe.

I don't have any inside information about other parts of Mexico.

I'm in Mexico City and it's business as usual. My wife's phone exploded with texts yesterday with people panicking for us worried that we're in danger. Our hotel is on the Zocalo directly across from the apartments where the president lives and I see no extra police presence.

I do have a friend sheltering in Puerto Vallarta at the moment. He didn't see or hear anything yesterday. All he knows is that he's not supposed to go out yet and his flight tomorrow to go home was cancelled.

Oaxaca is life as usual, with no sign of unrest or chaos. It's charming!

My friends in Baja California Sur (the area that includes Cabo) said that they only know of the unrest from the news.

Everything is back to normal this morning in Ajijic.

Thank you to all who expressed concern and support. I want to share something written by a resident here:

I woke up today thinking about the story that will be told north of the border after what happened yesterday in Jalisco.
And I felt a familiar ache.

Because once again, Mexico will be reduced to fear.
To headlines.
To a single wound in a body of 130 million people.

This country is not a headline.
It is people.

It is farmers who rise before dawn and feed their communities.
Artists who paint walls with color and memory.
Teachers who shape futures in crowded classrooms.
Families who tend to elders with tenderness.
Professionals, laborers, shopkeepers, healers, parents, children.
People who love fiercely and live loudly.

Yes, the cartel exists.
Yes, this country is imperfect.
So is every nation.
So is the one I came from.

But violence is not the soul of Mexico.
Community is.

In my daily life I see inclusion.
I see neighbors looking out for one another.
I see values rooted in family, respect, and shared responsibility.
I see joy in the simplest moments..... food passed around a table, music in the street, laughter echoing through plazas.

Mexico is not one story.
It is thousands of cultures, languages, traditions, and identities.
It is indigenous roots and modern dreams living side by side.
It is complexity and contradiction and beauty all at once.

The narrative pushed in the United States often misses this entirely.
It replaces curiosity with fear.
It feeds racism and privilege.
It flattens a living, breathing country into something small and frightening.

But those of us who chose to build a life here know better.
We chose love over fear.
We chose community over isolation.
We chose a place where people still greet each other, still gather, still care.

Mexico is not a place to be warned about.
It is a place to be understood.
To be respected.
To be celebrated.

And I will keep telling this story .....
not the one of danger,
but the one of dignity, connection, and humanity.

Because this country deserves to be seen for what it truly is:
beautiful, diverse, resilient, and deeply alive.

Thanks for sharing this, Lane!

Thanks for that poem Lane. How very true it is.

Thank you Lane and best wishes.

Lane, that was lovely and so relevant. It would be nice if we could think about Mexico in that way.

It is thousands of cultures, languages, traditions, and identities. It
is indigenous roots and modern dreams living side by side.

Well said, and it's what I've discovered during my current trip in Mexico City. I've been to Mexico twice before but to resort cities for business conferences and I never experienced the real Mexico. We've ended up taking a deeper dive into Mexican history over the past week; especially the prehispanic history and I never realized the extent of that history. It's fascinating. And the everyday people we've encountered on this trip. It's been a joy. I can't wait to write Trip Report.

I lived in the Ajijic area for 11 years. Thank you for sharing this update

Lane, thank you…just lovely and so very true. So many friends, families, and so many stories. Still now and forever our happy place. I’m keeping that wonderful piece.

Thanks again, Lane. I hope to return to Mexico soon.