Last week a new statement was released to the public warning all U.S. citizens who plan to visit Mexico and who live in the United States.

According to the U.S. State Department the recommendation is to not visit Mexico unless it's necessary. The statement also spoke about the number of Americans who have died in Mexico, and the figure is very different from the number that was revealed seven years ago when these types of alerts began.

Much of the economic growth in the border regions are due to tourism from the United States, and after a wave of violence that ended a few years ago the recovery has been slow and complicated, but the efforts still continue and now has come across a speed bump.

In regards to Baja California, the statement mentions the crime rate of the two major cities in the state which are Tijuana and Mexicali, arguing that most crimes are drug-related. It's also been reported that 25 Americans have died in the state of Baja California, but no further information was given about the conditions in which they lost their lives.

In the statement you can find certain warnings by state, as well as the agencies visitors could ask for support in case of an emergency. To consult this statement, please click here.

The website "The Economist" also presented an interesting map and article, where it compared the murder rates of each Mexican state to those of other countries.

It is very true that Mexico has lived through 6 difficult years in which there have been now more than 60,000 deaths, due to the "War on Drugs and Organized Crime" that president Felipe Calderon had launched since the beginning of his presidency.

Many of the deaths in this count are also those of innocent bystanders who were just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

*Sunset at Puerto Nuevo

In Baja California these types of unfortunate events have considerably diminished, and Mexico does have some safe regions just how the interactive map shows.

Baja California has launched a crusade to show its true colors, offering the best restaurants, bars, tourist sites, and cultural shows to tourists and above all its inhabitants. The scene of this region has changed a lot in this aspect and slowly becoming a lot safer as well.

The violence that existed years ago has now passed by making room for what the region is happy to live in now, peace.

The United States recognizes the efforts of the Mexican authorities and its people to create a healthy environment, which the document also indicates that each year more than 150,000 Americans visit Mexico without any problems.

Brenda.Colon@sandiegored.com

Translation: Omar.Martinez@sandiegored.com