We hereby remind our followers and readers that our tweets are essentially indicators of the security situation for higher risk countries and that they form small pieces of a bigger picture. They are additions, updates, new elements and evolution of the conditions that will negatively affect travellers to a specific destination. Therefore we will defend our standpoint.
From earlier today we tweeted:
"Mexico update: kidnappings were up 300% in La Laguna area in 2013. Area not recommended for any travel. Consult us if travel there is required."
Minutes later we received a reply for the tweet:
"I don't think an increase from 6 to 18 annual cases in a metro area of 1,2 mil people is significant tbh"
To which we tweeted back:
"Justification is about trend setting, indication of degrading security situation and deliberate targeting."
Again, we mostly tweet about indicators and triggers pertaining to the security situation of specific destinations. A puzzle has several hundreds of pieces and one specific piece of information cannot determine a trend. In order to offer more insight into this specific recommendation we will itemise many pieces of information that we have researched in order to validate our work. La Laguna or Comarca Lagunera or also known as the metropolitan zone of la Laguna is an urban area that is situated in northern Mexico, wedged between the states of Coahuila and Durango. This important economic and industrial center is comprised of 15 municipalities: five in Coahuila and 10 in Durango. Torreon is well known. This specific area of Mexico is basically not recommended for travel for tourists. This is generally based on many threat factors and hazards associated with travel there. The U.S. Department of state has this to say about the state of Coahuila:
"Coahuila: Defer non-essential travel to the state of Coahuila. The State of Coahuila continues to experience high rates of violent crimes and narcotics-related murders. TCOs continue to compete for territory and coveted border crossings to the United States. Violent crime, including murder, kidnapping, and armed carjacking, continues to be a major concern in the cities of Torreón, Saltillo, Piedras Negras, Ciudad Acuña, and Monclova. Of particular safety concern are casinos, sportsbooks, or other gambling establishments and adult entertainment establishments, which USG personnel are not permitted to patronize".
Multi sourcing is always the preferred way for researching, documenting and validating information collection. Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada advises against non-essential travel to the northern states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León (except the city of Monterrey), Sinaloa (with the exception of Mazatlán), Sonora (except the cities of Hermosillo, Guaymas/San Carlos and Nogales), and Tamaulipas due to continuously high levels of violence linked to organized crime.
While these government sources are reliable, they are reactive in nature when it comes to properly addressing real time information requirements and guidance for the traveller.
- Trend setting is proper insight into what is likely to occur. It is one of many analytical tools available for intelligence professionals.
- Degrading security situation such as murders, increasing reports of kidnappings and criminal activity are obvious clues and do not warrant further explanation. Governmental INACTION to solve crime and corruption are key.
- Deliberate targeting is an aspect that we specifically strive to identify in order to protect our clients. American citizens are actively targeted for kidnappings in that area of Mexico. Other westerners are likely to be confused for Americans, therefore increasing the risk.
Our tweet earlier today did provide actionable information on a courtesy basis for our followers, clients and the public in order to fill information gaps, to determine the direction in which the security situation of La Laguna is headed, to discern newer trends that are part of our focus and to perform due diligence for travellers to that higher risk destination as a preventative measure. Unsuccessful attempts to disprove our recommendations validate and justify our professional services. While an increase in kidnappings for the La Laguna area rightfully justifies a "so what?" we strive to keep our clients safe. Every information element matters to properly assess what is likely to occur next. We fill a gap for which a demand is rising. We assess that Mexico is highly likely to share the faith of many central American states: long term instability based on the transnational criminal organizations, despite of the "Vigilante" self-defence groups efforts.
We hope that any confusion is therefore mitigated and we thank you for your time.
Every travel destination is uniquely different and requires adequate research, analysis and accurate assessments to properly advise against the possible threats and hazards. We welcome inquiries so we can determine your security needs. Your first consultation is always free.
We invite you to review our past twitter posts @parsecconsult as well as this blog's entries.
We encourage feedback and questions to our e-mail: parsec.consulting@gmail.com
Our website: http://parsecconsulting.wix.com/parsecconsulting
Attribution: copies and redistribution of the above material in any medium or format is authorized providing full attribution is credited by using full link of present blog.
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