I first came to Mexico as part of a college summer semester abroad program in 1987 and for the better part of the last 25 years have lived in Mexico. My college semester was based in the once lovely town of Cuernavaca, known by the nickname “City of Eternal Spring”. Today, Cuernavaca is the 18th most dangerous city in the world, according to a report published by El Consejo Ciudadano para la Seguridad Publica y la Justicia Penal A.C.

I still spend most weekends in Cuernavaca. From my informal study of local news reports, the daily death toll is between one and four. It’s a rare day that there are no murders. In August, there were news reports that the morgue is full, 60 or so unidentified dead, the vast majority of them murdered.

Mexico has 9 cities listed in the top 50 most dangerous cities in the world. I have seen the violence first-hand. A good friend was killed due to wounds inflicted from being shot in an attempted robbery while eating a taco at an open taco stand in Mexico City on a Saturday morning . As a sales executive for a major home appliance company based in Monterrey, I have fond memories of many clients. My top client for high-end products is based in San Pedro, Monterrey. She now lives at an undisclosed location in the Yucatan Peninsula due to fears of being kidnapped. Another friend of mine, a former senior advertising executive, finally realized his dream of opening a furniture store in Mexico City, only to be kidnapped and extorted. He closed his business and told me quite simply that “You cannot do business in Mexico”.

via Mexico: on the verge of a meltdown | Stanley Hart | Comment is free | theguardian.com.