How Dangerous Is Tamaulipas? Murder Rate, Kidnapping Numbers for 2010-1013

Matamoros Mayor Leticia Salazar at
Veterans Bridge Surrounded by Bodyguards

There is some disagreement over whether Matamoros Mayor Leticia Salazar actually called for a curfew Sunday after at least 13 were killed in several gun battles throughout the city.  A commenter to this blog explained it this way:

"Hey Jim,Lety didn't call for a curfew. All she said was "if you don't have anything to go out for, then don't go out." Osorio Chong criticized her for saying that and canceling night classes in Matamoros, saying that this terrifies the citizens. I think she did a good thing in coming out - she was brave and we need public officials on the other side of the border like that."

Whatever action taken by Ms. Salazar was criticized by Interior Minister Orsorio Chong, who felt it was unwarranted, unnecessarily raising fears of the populace.  Commenters were not supportive of Chong's stance:

Interior Minister Orsorio Chong

"Osorio Chong is just a politician asshole, he does not have the slightest idea of what is really going on in Matamoros, the PRI assholes use any excuse to criticize the ruling PAN party in Matamoros, que venga el pendejo a vivir unos dias a Matamoros!!!"

"A curfew is going to terrify people? If you live in Matamoros and are not already scared shitless then you don't know what the fuck is happening."

A website named La Jornada with an article by Fabiola Martinez, shares some statistics indicating that our neighbor to the south, Tamaulipas, may be the most dangerous state in Mexico.  During the first nine months of 2013, Tamaulipas had 148 reported kidnappings, more than any other state in Mexico.  The Distrito Federal(Mexico) was second with 141, followed by Michoacan with 137 and Morelos with 117.  

According to a senior federal official quoted in La Jornada:  "Tamaulipas is classified as a point of extreme danger."  The official went on to say that little is done to ensure safety of the general population, even less for migrants.  The only entities "putting some order in certain areas are the military and elements of the Navy of Mexico," he stated.

The murder rate in Tamaulipas has actually shown a slight dip so far in 2013, after rising for three straight years.  Shown below are the number of murders reported per 100,000 population:

2010~21.62

2011~25.32

2012~29.71

2013~12.18 for partial year, 418 murders