Safety in Ajijic-Chapala: a
Different Perspective
By Coco Wonchee at Ventana
Magazine
“Mexico is many Mexicos” quoted Mrs. Ana Maria Salazar during a lecture she
delivered recently at a conference attended by a number of important foreign
residents in Ajijic.
Mrs. Ana Maria Salazar is a well known lecturer, an expert in Total Safety and
Titular in several TV and Radio shows. She was invited to speak at the
conference by Multivalores Bank which felt their clients were worried by the
mounting media coverage of violence and crime in Mexico related to drug
cartels; and so they invited Mrs Salazar with the aim of easing the concerns of
their clients and opening up their vision of safety in Mexico - especially in
Ajijic and surroundings.
In her address to those present, she said, “When friends or family from abroad
ask you about crime in Ajijic, you should answer ‘Mexico
is many Mexicos’.
“
“What does this mean in this serious issue for the 15,000 (Winter) and 18,000
ex-Pats here who are presently pursuing a quiet living, free of fears and
alarm, with their only purpose to enjoy a life free of the pressures associated
with a past hectic way of living, and now wishing instead only to enjoy the
sense of being on a permanent holiday.”
One of the most impressive graphics she showed demonstrated that while some
large border cities and Mexico City had the biggest percentage of crime,
Jalisco with Lake Chapala area was in the medium-low - “Very low by comparison”
she said.
When talking of the villagers, the atmosphere of the towns, the small fishing
villages that lie along the Lake-shore, the word that comes to my mind is
‘Pacific’ - not ‘violent’. Like many ex-Pats, when interacting with local
(Mexican) inhabitants, I find that all the people I meet are friendly and eager
to help. John Cawood, recently retired to Ajijic from Canada, in his article
Monument to Excellence ( Lake Chapala Review - October 15, 2010) writing of his
experience with Mexican builders working on his newly acquired property, said
“These men always arrived regularly on time, never missing a day ... always
talking, often laughing, sometimes singing, with never an angry word amongst
them, always gracious, always willing to help, always quick to smile, always
demonstrating pride of workmanship - even a sense of joy in the work itself.”
How could people like Mr. Cawood, or myself, who interact in such a way with
our (Mexican) hosts ever feel insecure. However, as in any small town or large
city anywhere in the world, common sense and a few safety rules should be
practiced as recommended by experts in security, such as Mrs. Salazar. Mostly
these are directed against burglars - shut and lock doors and windows when
leaving your residence; never allow unknown or uninvited people into your house
who come with the excuse of representing some kind of local company or
authority.
With these reassurances I would say sincerely, “Ajijic is Mexico, but it is not the violent Mexico.” It is
the ‘pacific’ Mexico
which wants to share the beauty, the goodness, the mildness, and the joy of
living amongst people who so graciously welcome foreigners sympathetic to local
Mexican culture. Is there crime in Ajijic? Yes, but not the kind one reads of
in the news, and certainly not the high percentage that is reported in some
other cities of our dear Mexico
- just as in other countries as well.
When retiring to Ajijic, some people choose ‘Gated Communities’ .where they
feel secure living amongst ex-Pats like themselves within a secluded, isolated
development. Others prefer to live in the Village where there are plenty of
possibilities and the security of knowing that their local Mexican neighbours
will look after them and their house.
Whether you come to holiday or to make your home in Ajijic, you will be
welcomed with a smile and a helping hand; and you will soon feel that you have
a helper who comes in the form of an enthusiastic mother of four children,
housewife and worker in her own right. No matter who you are, you are a
foreignor to them and therefore they assume you may need help of some kind
which they will always be ready to give. In Ajijic you will live with a very
real sense of local support, peace and safety.