Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa Message Board - By Road and By Zih

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While I haven't been hearing about assaults on passenger buses, I do keep hearing about brazen daylight assaults on private vehicles, mostly late-model SUVs, near Lagunillas in La Unión, so for folks driving to La Unión, Lázaro Cárdenas or up to Uruapan, Pátzcuaro and Morelia I recommend traveling in convoys. If you're traveling by bus I wouldn't worry.

There's also currently a problem in Petatlán where a group of autodefensas (organized armed civilians fed up with the lack of law and order) known as UPOEG have disarmed the police and taken control of the municipio. There was a shootout there yesterday where Federales killed 3 civilians dressed as UPOEG autodefensas, so tensions are high in Petatlán. So the highway has been blocked intermittently, and I heard this morning that it continues being blocked with only brief interludes when vehicles are allowed to pass.

Never a dull moment in paradise!

A while back I posted a photo of don Gindo Morelos and his ox-drawn cart of bricks crossing El Vado. Here another photo from a few years later, maybe 1973 or so of the same place.
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Here's another smile as payment for donated glasses. ¡Gracias!
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Scene at the muelle this morning: Bertha II.
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I love that Lupita is using God's Word to test the eye glass recipient's vision. She is such an example of sharing God's love in practical ways. A true light in the darkness. You are indeed a blessed man!

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I love that Lupita is using God's Word to test the eye glass recipient's vision. She is such an example of sharing God's love in practical ways. A true light in the darkness. You are indeed a blessed man!

Don't I know it! I'm The Luckiest Gringo in Mexico! B-)

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Drove to Petatlan today, walked around some and then drove back. Saw some of the armed guys, but, no problems, never stopped by them.

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Drove to Petatlan today, walked around some and then drove back. Saw some of the armed guys, but, no problems, never stopped by them.

The fact that this alarming situation can elicit ho-hum reactions is an indication of how wild the Wild West of Guerrero (and of Mexico in general) has become.
Interesting to read that the Petatlan police communications system was reportedly patched-into the local criminal gang's communications system.

Keep your heads down, folks.

https://suracapulco.mx/2018/12/11/policias-de-la-upoeg-toman-en-petatlan-la-sede-de-la-policia-municipal/

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Drove to Petatlan today, walked around some and then drove back. Saw some of the armed guys, but, no problems, never stopped by them.

The fact that this alarming situation can elicit ho-hum reactions is an indication of how wild the Wild West of Guerrero (and of Mexico in general) has become.
Interesting to read that the Petatlan police communications system was reportedly patched-into the local criminal gang's communications system.

Keep your heads down, folks.

https://suracapulco.mx/2018/12/11/policias-de-la-upoeg-toman-en-petatlan-la-sede-de-la-policia-municipal/

While folks are indeed concerned, things were also pretty bad if not worse back when the government used its army and its judiciales to kill, torture and disappear people. That was the Guerrero I first knew back when a schoolteacher named Lucio Cabañas felt compelled to take up arms against the government after watching the army massacre innocent villagers in a rural school yard. The only big change between now and then is the internet. We're still not always sure who the bad guys and the good guys are because a billion-dollar a year black marker keeps feeding this beast that Mexico is forced to deal with because scores of millions of US citizens are forced to buy the stupidly banned substances they want from violent criminals instead of the equivalent of liquor stores, bars or pharmacies. And miraculously for all the talk of border security and walls and regulations, a quarter million firearms a year can still be bought more easily than a bottle of booze in the USA and seemingly effortlessly smuggled into Mexico to arm those violent organized black-marketeers.

But a change is in the air thanks to Mexico's new president who is trying to end the bloodshed with intelligence instead of more violence. Let's wish him success.

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:megusta:

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Drove to Petatlan today, walked around some and then drove back. Saw some of the armed guys, but, no problems, never stopped by them.

The fact that this alarming situation can elicit ho-hum reactions is an indication of how wild the Wild West of Guerrero (and of Mexico in general) has become.
Interesting to read that the Petatlan police communications system was reportedly patched-into the local criminal gang's communications system.

Keep your heads down, folks.

https://suracapulco.mx/2018/12/11/policias-de-la-upoeg-toman-en-petatlan-la-sede-de-la-policia-municipal/

While folks are indeed concerned, things were also pretty bad if not worse back when the government used its army and its judiciales to kill, torture and disappear people. That was the Guerrero I first knew back when a schoolteacher named Lucio Cabañas felt compelled to take up arms against the government after watching the army massacre innocent villagers in a rural school yard. The only big change between now and then is the internet. We're still not always sure who the bad guys and the good guys are because a billion-dollar a year black marker keeps feeding this beast that Mexico is forced to deal with because scores of millions of US citizens are forced to buy the stupidly banned substances they want from violent criminals instead of the equivalent of liquor stores, bars or pharmacies. And miraculously for all the talk of border security and walls and regulations, a quarter million firearms a year can still be bought more easily than a bottle of booze in the USA and seemingly effortlessly smuggled into Mexico to arm those violent organized black-marketeers.

But a change is in the air thanks to Mexico's new president who is trying to end the bloodshed with intelligence instead of more violence. Let's wish him success.

Man Rob you are so shortsighted. You "think" making drugs legal and all this goes away. WRONG, they just move to more extortion, kidnappings, prostitution and anything else they can do to cockroach someone and society .

The best way,,,,,,,Prison and KILL THEM ALL.......... That is the only things thugs understand.

D

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*sigh*
Apparently I have to keep repeating myself on this subject for the reading comprehension challenged, because I know I've explained all this to you before... :stirpot:

Nope, not shortsighted at all. Quite the contrary. For starters, the only reason these substances were made illegal in the first place was because of racism in the USA, and the reason they continue being illegal is because of special interests (aka Big Pharma, Big Alcohol) and bloated budgets (DEA, CIA, police narcotics offices, weaponry and 'gadgets'). It has nothing to do with health because if it did then their prohibition has already been responsible for more deaths than if the stupidly banned substances had been legal all this time and everyone who used them were a heavy abuser or addict, which they are not. Removing the main source of income from violent organized criminals means instead of them having 10 million dollars for every million the government can spare to fight them, the playing field becomes much more level. They may try making up for the loss by increased extortion and kidnappings and thefts, but see what happened in Michoacán a few years ago and what is currently happening in Guerrero. Community after community, region after region is rising up against the criminal gangs and running them off. Do you know what happens when one of these communities catches a crook? They either beat or burn them to death and then hang them. That kind of justice keeps criminals in line until they return to one of these small communities with dozens of armed men and run all the women and children off their land and kill or force the men to work for them. All because the USA bans substances its citizens want and creates a multi-billion dollar a year black market. The comunitarios and the new president have the right idea. Take money and power away from the criminals by removing the source of their most lucrative market. The US federal government however is continuing to insist on its long-failed policies and is taking the USA backwards into the dark ages, and millions of its citizens are cheering this on. So while we watch the decline of the USA we are also watching the rise of sanity in Canada and Mexico and other nations who are taking power away from organized criminals and reclaiming their tranquility and prosperity.

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Oh, Rob, it was such a nice quiet board until you woke up on the wrong side of the bed. So nice to see a board that focused on Zih and the area and not one person and his soapbox.

BTW, since you brought it up, making that stupid legal substance (think: opioids, didn't work out too well did it?

Using drugs a failure of positive human behavior the world over (think: Failure to follow the rule of law). When the law is changed, as you propose, then its result can be evaluated. And I will be the first to follow it.

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Rob, have you seen any reports lately on the successes or problems where MJ has been legalized, i.e., States in the U.S? Any countries in Europe?

Are you talking about MJ or are there other substances?

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Rob, have you seen any reports lately on the successes or problems where MJ has been legalized, i.e., States in the U.S? Any countries in Europe?

Are you talking about MJ or are there other substances?

Again repeating myself, EVERY POPULAR RECREATIONAL SUBSTANCE CURRENTLY MAKING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR VIOLENT ORGANIZED CRIMINALS NEEDS TO BE LEGALIZED AND/OR DECRIMINALIZED AND REGULATED. Yes, that includes legally produced and distributed opioids as well as all those other fun substances like LSD, coke, smack and even meth. Cannabis should NEVER have been illegal. It’s their PROHIBITION, at the original behest of the USA, that is worse than whatever excuse is being used to justify their prohibition. The obviously failed cure is worse than the so-called disease. I wonder if your bias allows you to “get it”, because I fear it is YOU missing the BIG picture. People with abuse and addiction problems will always have those problems until they find help, but the great majority of folks using stupidly banned substances are neither abusers nor addicts but rather like all those folks who drink alcohol or who like sugar in their coffee or salt on their French fries. That’s the reality whether you’ve read about it somewhere or not.

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:bravo:

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Here is an example of the debate in Canada regarding this issue.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/opioid-cihi-1.4943139

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Hi All, any additional information on the La Union area would be much appreciated (like if they are stepping up patrols). We are driving down from the middle of the country on Saturday hopefully. Thank you.

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visit Troncones Vacation Rentals
visit Playa Buenavista

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Came up from Z to Buena Vista (near Troncones) this a.m. Cops all over the place.

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Thanks, we are actually going to BV. Hopefully the trip will be uneventful, maybe we will see you on the beach.

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visit Troncones Vacation Rentals
visit Playa Buenavista

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We have been along those routes..200 between La Union and Zih every day this week..Sat-Wed. We did notice a lot of police recently but had no problems ourselves.

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We made a round trip to SMA couple weeks ago. Tried to fit in a convoy between here and Patzquero both ways - but everyone was driving so damn fast we couldn’t keep up. No problems however.

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Thank you!

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visit Troncones Vacation Rentals
visit Playa Buenavista

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Doesn't make me want to run back to that area given the situation. So sad.

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Doesn't make me want to run back to that area given the situation. So sad.

Most folks in the area view the autodefensas as good guys. The local police in most towns are infiltrated by organized crime, so many people actually feel safer with the autodefensas putting the pressure on the bad guys to move on. I expect the federal government will sort it out soon enough. The federal government currently enjoys more popular support than it's had in decades. The folks blocking the highway in Palos Blancos are rumored to have been coerced to do so by the local criminals. I don't know if it's true, but I know we are all hopeful the matter will soon be sorted out.

The fact that even when we had no police force for much of the past two years our community didn't resort to looting or violence in the streets says volumes about the goodness and decency of our people here in the region. I love living right here because of the people.

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We plan on coming to Zihua by car through Patzcuaro in January. Any advice on finding a caravan?

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These convoys/caravans are not formally organized. Just fit in with a group of vehicles heading down. Lots of highway construction around Patzquero right now with one way controlled traffic so groups of cars are automatic.
We were told by a local who makes the drive often to gas up at Patzquero and don’t stop anywhere on the way down - makes it difficult for banditos to scope you out.
The biggest hazard of the drive are vehicles passing vehicles. Double lines, blind curves or hills mean nothing on that highway. We have seen as many as four cars abreast trying to pass at once. You will get the gist of it pretty fast. Just stay alert.

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Thanks for advice. I have driven to and from Patzcuaro numerous times without incident. But better safe than sorry.

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