In Acapulco, The Beaches are Turning into Battlefields

"El Riviera" for Borderland Beat

Graphics by HEARST

In less than a week, the tourist area of Acapulco has been shaken by a wave of violence, with a total of seven reported homicides. The once idyllic coastal city, which was arguably the world's top vacation destination, has become a hotbed of crime, raising concerns about the safety of both locals and tourists.

The latest incident occurred on Thursday, February 1, 2024, when two men were brutally murdered on the Costera, the main street in the city. Despite heightened security, with over 300 soldiers from the Navy and National Guard deployed in the area, the killers carried out the execution in broad daylight.

Prior to this, on Sunday, January 28, a cab driver fell victim to a similar fate, again on the Costera, in front of Tamarindos beach. The driver was shot to death in his taxi on the street as tourists looked on in horror. On the same day 2 sicarios drove up in a boat and killed a man on Condesa beach.

And a day before that saw another deadly confrontation erupt nearby on El Morro beach. Rival groups shot at each other, resulting in one person being killed and two more injured. The violence took place between the Emporio hotel and Playa Suites, again on the main drag in the city.

The bloodshed did not stop there. On Monday, January 29, yet another killing occurred on Manzanillo beach. These gruesome events have left Acapulco residents and the authorities grappling with the escalating violence. Despite the city being guarded by more than 10,000 members of the National Guard, homicides are out of control in the once-popular tourist destination.

The series of killings in such a short span raises questions about the effectiveness of current security measures and the underlying issues contributing to the surge in violence. This all comes just 3 months after hurricane Otis, a category 5 storm, which made landfall with less than 2 hours warning and devastated the city.

While the government has set up programs to help the residents, the security situation is out of control. Acapulco, already known for high levels of violence and extortion, is being bled dry by the many criminal groups that operate in the city. Criminals are even going door to door in some areas forcing the residents to give them a percentage of the federal relief money.

The tourist zones of the city, which previously had been relatively safe, are quickly turning into warzones. The vacationers, mostly from Mexico these days, no longer feel safe walking down the street or sitting at the beach. American and Canadian tourists largely stopped coming to Acapulco years earlier and the way things are going it won't be long until Mexicans don't want to visit either.

Image Credit: Sur Acapulco, Reforma, Quadratin, Dallas News, Agencia Irza, NMAs, Diario 21