Mexico: Increased security in Mexico City for Easter and elections

Event

The Easter weekend is taking place from Friday, March 30 (Good Friday), through Sunday, April 1 (Easter Sunday). The Easter holiday is a major travel period in the region, when individuals visit family, go on vacation, or go on pilgrimage to religious sites. Officials anticipate that some 4 million people will travel in and out of Mexico City this week. As such, increased congestion at travel hubs, demand for hotels (and higher prices), and car traffic in cities and on highways is to be anticipated, along with possible business, store, and government office closures.

On Tuesday, March 27, Mexico City officials initiated a plan to reinforce security across the city ahead of Easter as well as the official start of the election campaign period, which will begin on March 30 and run through June 27. At least 30,000 police officers, rescuers, and officials in charge of the protection of religious, cultural, and political events will be deployed throughout the city.

Context

Presidential and legislative elections will be held throughout the country on July 1. Over 50 million Mexicans are eligible to head to the polls to elect candidates for various posts, including the president, 500 members of the Chamber of Deputies, 128 senators, and state and local offices in 30 of Mexico’s 32 states. Pre-election violence in Mexico has already resulted in at least 30 politicians and candidates being killed. Violence has been a central issue in the 2018 presidential elections as there were an estimated 29,168 homicides nationwide in 2017, a 27 percent increase from 2016, and Mexico’s deadliest year in the past two decades. Record high levels of violence have continued into 2018.

Advice

Individuals in Mexico, particularly in Mexico City, are advised to exercise increased vigilance in the coming days and to be prepared for congestion on roads and at travel hubs.