Recent Posts
-
Its not what you call yourself that defines you.
In modern society, it seems that all age-old descriptive titles have given… -
Global Security and Investigations Firm Appoints National Accounts Manager
Michael Saad International, an international security and investigations… -
5-Year-Old girl raps Nicki Minaj’s “Superbass”
This was great!
Author Archives: Giovanni Guerra
Mexican Drug Cartels Threaten Social Media Users
Social Media has become a powerful channel for individuals to voice their discontent. Just a few weeks ago however, Mexican Drug Cartels took a stand against those individuals who would speak out against their activities on social media sites.
Early Sept. 13, 2011, two bodies were found hanging from a pedestrian bridge in the Mexican border city of Nuevo Laredo. This violence is believed to be the work of the Zetas Cartel, a cartel with a history of military training.
CNN Reports that signs found with the victims state that these two individuals denounced drug cartel activities on social media sites Al Rojo Vivo and Blog del Narco. These signs also threaten other social media users who are doing the same.
Image via CNN.com video
This episode of violence displayed the cartels determination to shut down those who denounce their activities. While threats against those who denounce their acitivites is not new, the threat against social media users is new, but it seems that this threat is not going to stop some social media users from voicing their opinions, not from twitter or from the two blogs mentioned by the cartels.
About Giovanni Guerra
Giovanni Guerra is an Associate with Michael Saad International with extensive experience with security related issues and specializes in Latin affairs, customs, traditions and operational security & awareness in Mexico. Recently, Ms Guerra received her M.Sc. in Intelligence and National Security from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Car theft rises 283% in Northeastern Mexican state.
Crime seems almost epidemic in the northeastern Mexican state, Nuevo Leon, where car theft rose 283% since 2006, according to the AMIS, an association of Mexican insurance institutions. Nearly 15,000 people in Nuevo Leon have been victims of car theft since the beginning of this year, more than half of them were forced out of their car. These shocking figures put Nuevo Leon second in car theft in the nation, surpassed only by the state of Mexico.
An even more distressing fact is the number of people actually investigating these crimes, which is only 35 agents. Putting this statistics in cars per agents investigating, leads to a 428 cars per agent, per year. Strangely, around 60% of cars stolen this year have been recovered. This may be partly because of all the cars that are found days after being stolen, when they were already used by criminals for blocking the roads to prevent army support troops from coming into action.
Get out of the car.
Since the beginning of 2010, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon’s capital city; has witnessed the biggest crime wave of its history. Shootings and robberies have become part of everyday life in Mexico’s industrial capital and, to many people’s concern, things don’t seem to be changing soon.
About Giovanni Guerra
Giovanni Guerra is an Associate with Michael Saad International with extensive experience with security related issues and specializes in Latin affairs, customs, traditions and operational security & awareness in Mexico. Recently, Ms Guerra received her M.Sc. in Intelligence and National Security from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Latin American Etiquette – a Traveller’s Guide
Etiquette in Latin America varies from country to country, but some generalizations can be made. The countries in Central and South America were colonized by Europeans and as such many customs and behavior expectations are the similar. Here are a few notable differences you should consider before you travel.
- People from Latin America are often more comfortable with loud talk and exaggerated hand gestures. They may have a smaller sense of personal space. It may be rude to step away from someone while they are talking to you.
- At some finer restaurants, the server will wait for you to request the check; anything else is considered rude.
- The America gesture “come here” with the palm facing upward and opening and closing the fingers could be perceived as a romantic prelude.
- Hand objects, don’t toss them. It’s not considered rude everywhere, but it is some places.
- Don’t refer to yourself as “American” or from “America;” they are too. You are from the United States or perhaps North American. Using this terminology helps to avoid confusion.
- Don’t talk about US Foreign Policy while in a foreign country. This seems like such a simplistic suggestion; but you would be surprised how many people forget this basic rule.
- Religion is not taken lightly by many Latin Americans. While in Latin America treat religion with respect.
There are many other rules to follow while traveling to Latin America, but following these basic etiquette guidelines will help ensure you have a safe and fun trip.
About Giovanni Guerra
Giovanni Guerra is an Associate with Michael Saad International with extensive experience with security related issues and specializes in Latin affairs, customs, traditions and operational security & awareness in Mexico. Recently, Ms Guerra received her M.Sc. in Intelligence and National Security from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Cancun – Tips to Stay Safe
We have come up with a few tips on how to be safe in Mexico. Due to the increased crime rate you only need to take some safety precautions and make Mexico enjoyable.
Check out the following tips:
-
Try to stay away from rental cars- make sure you look for established tours which are available and are of reasonable price.
-
If you’re staying in a hotel, you can book a car right from the hotel, even though you could get a fare price outside but end up threatening your safety.
-
For ladies, make sure you stay in the Hotel zone all night and when moving – move in a crowd to avoid drugs slipped in to drinks or getting unlicensed cabs, which could end up being trouble.
-
Make sure you stay with a group of your friends.
-
The drinking age in Cancun is over eighteen years.
About Giovanni Guerra
Giovanni Guerra is an Associate with Michael Saad International with extensive experience with security related issues and specializes in Latin affairs, customs, traditions and operational security & awareness in Mexico. Recently, Ms Guerra received her M.Sc. in Intelligence and National Security from the University of Texas at El Paso.