Safety and Security

CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Tijuana B.C., Mexico
December 3, 2010
Gilda Villaplana, President / Josefina Pataky, Executive Director
Fundacion Esperanza de Mexico
Dear Gilda and Josefina:
I would like to express once again my appreciation for the excellent humanitarian work that the
Fundacion Esperanza performs and the wonderful volunteer opportunities that it offers to American young people. Thank you for allowing my son Jeremy to participate in several of your programs last summer. I understand that we are arranging for a group of Consulate staff members to come work on one of your construction projects after the New Year. Again, muchas gracias! I am sorry to hear that the Travel Warning issued by the U.S. Department of State continues to discourage the families of some of your prospective American volunteers to allow their participation. There are clearly misconceptions about this Travel Warning that I hope this letter will help resolve.
The U.S. Government has an obligation to inform our citizens about travel safety in foreign countries, but we only issue only one document concerning travel conditions for any foreign country. That document must broadly reflect conditions throughout that country. In one as large as Mexico, this is obviously a difficult task considering that security and travel conditions can vary widely from one region to another. Much of the language in the current Travel Warning is not directed specifically towards Baja California, but instead reflects security concerns in other areas of Mexico bordering the United States. As we all know, violence among organized crime cartels -- and between those cartels and Mexican authorities – has intensified in areas in and around cities such as Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, and Reynoso in recent months. Victims have included American citizens, such as the employees of our Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez who were killed earlier this year. The Travel Warning has been modified in response to events in those areas. For this reason, it “urge[s] U.S. citizens to defer unnecessary travel to Michoacán and Tamaulipas, to parts of Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, and Coahuila;” however, it makes no such recommendation regarding travel to Tijuana or other parts of Baja California. The language concerning crime and insecurity in Baja California in the current Travel Warning is essentially unchanged from all of the previous travel notices over the past two years. We acknowledge that there are problems of crime and narco-violence here, but we also recognize that authorities in Baja at the federal, state, and municipal levels have made progress in combating crime and have scored some important successes in 2010.
I hope that you will find this clarification useful and that the Fundacion Esperanza will continue to benefit from the involvement of American volunteers.
Warm regards,
Steven Kashkett

From our long term volunteer: Monica

To all the wonderful volunteers and Esperanza supporters,

We had a wonderful Summer and are off to a great Fall! Groups came streaming through from June to August and made a world of difference for so many families. Not only do we continue to build numerous homes, but also building and strengthening friendships, families, communities, partnerships. I must tell all of you that you really touch the hearts of the families. After groups leave, the next time we’re in the community, the families will ask, “How’s so-and-so? Have you heard from X group? They were so nice/funny/strong.” You may only be in Tijuana physically for a week, but know that the passion, energy, and love you bring stays with the staff and families and we really miss you! I had the opportunity to visit the new communities in Oaxaca and participate in the work there in early October. In some ways, it’s completely different than Tijuana, but in others it’s the same. If you’ve seen the pictures from the first group that went down, the landscape is absolutely gorgeous. There are lots of families that are eagerly waiting for their homes and continuing day after day in the building process. I would highly recommend groups start planning trips to Oaxaca as well to get to know another part of Mexico and meet all the wonderful families there! A few weeks ago, I ended my career as a long-term volunteer with Esperanza and am now figuring out what to do with the rest of my life! I just want to say thank you to all the volunteers who I had the privilege to meet during my 8 months in Tijuana. The experience would not have been the same without you and I thank you for all that you taught me, the laughs we shared together, and the inspiration you gave me. Please stay in touch and I hope our paths will cross again!!

Much love,

Monica