Recent news and reports from members indicate Colombia is headed back to the ways of the past. During the first two months of 2018, the Americas saw a noticeable increase in the reporting of kidnapping incidents targeting foreign nationals. The number of victims recorded in this period was the highest recorded by Constellis for any first bimester over the last four years, with over 75% of these incidents occurring in Mexico, where a continuous deterioration of security is being observed.
Violence in Mexico, increasing since the beginning of 2015, reached a historical peak in 2017, both in terms of the total number of incidents and territorial reach. While in the past, armed activity was typically concentrated in regions well-known for their cartel activity, recent attacks have extended to include areas previously assessed as secure, including the Mexican capital and some of the nation’s leading tourist resorts. This situation was most recently acknowledged in the travel warnings issued by the Canadian and US governments, warning their citizens on the security threat at the beach resort of Playa del Carmen in Quinatan Roo. Cartels in Mexico employ kidnapping as one of their main tactics of violence, which is often overlooked or directly aided by local authorities. While cartels do not typically target foreign nationals, a number of incidents have been recorded in the past, with victims often targeted due to their existing links to illicit activities.