The United States ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, warned citizens of his country on Wednesday to avoid traveling to the Mexican states of Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas due to the “security situations” that are experienced in those regions.
“There are six states to which the State Department asks US citizens to avoid traveling: Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas,” Salazar said in a brief statement.
He explained that the security situations presented by these entities “highlight the importance” of the Bicentennial Framework between Mexico and the United States, in which both nations committed to improving security and better protecting people.
“Without security there is no prosperity,” he said.
These declarations come just a few days after various violent events occurred in the country in states such as Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Michoacán, Jalisco and Guanajuato, due to which, according to some counts in the national press, among on Wednesday the 10th and Friday the 12th of August, 260 murders were accumulated in Mexico.
The US ambassador endorsed his commitment to the security of citizens and to providing the security and justice institutions of Mexico with the necessary resources and training, as well as deepening their cooperation.
“The United States will continue to work with our partners, friends and neighbors as we build a peaceful future together,” he stressed.
Likewise, he indicated that he will continue working with all levels of the Government to advance the Mexico-United States security agenda.
To do this, he said, he will be traveling to the regions that have security challenges to deal with shared challenges and help fulfill the obligations that Presidents Joe Biden and Andrés Manuel López Obrador undertook on the 12th of July in Washington.
“Together we can build a more prosperous and secure future for the people of North America,” he insisted.
Among the challenges, he said, are the fight against drug trafficking, arms and human trafficking, as well as reducing drug abuse and addiction.
However, he congratulated Nayarit, the State of Mexico and Coahuila for improving their security levels and “therefore, a better level within the 2022 Travel Alert,” Salazar settled.