Ancient Mayan ruins in Mexico have become inaccessible as cartel violence hurts tourism in the country’s southern states.
Mexico’s government confirms tourists can no longer visit at least two popular Mayan ruins in Chiapas and tour guides told the Associated Press Additional ruins, which the government claims are open to the public, can only be accessed by passing through gang-controlled checkpoints.
Drug cartel violence has exploded in Chiapas last year, hurting tourism, a major source of economic opportunity for locals in the Mexican state near the Guatemalan border.
The historical sites of Yacilan and Tonina have been closed off to tourists, the former because of violence and the latter because of a land ownership dispute, Mexican authorities have acknowledged.
But tour guides, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, told the magazine that armed groups often lined the road to the Mayan ruins of Bonampac, famous for its murals.
They say yet another tourist destination, Lagartero, is infested with cartel members who order checkpoints where travelers are required to submit identification documents and unlocked cellphones.
Two competing cartels in the area had set up checkpoints and monitored each other’s movements.
The Mexican government insists the ruins are safer and says no tourists have been harmed. Still, many tour guides are unwilling to take risks and avoid the cartels.
“They ask for your ID to see if you’re a local,” he said, describing near-permanent gang checkpoints on the road to Lagartero.
“They take your phone and ask for your sign-in code, and then they look at your conversations to see if you belong to another gang,” he added. “At any time, a rival group could appear and a gunfight could begin.”
Mexican authorities pushed back against claims of violence near Lagartero and Bonampac, saying both were open to the public.
The National Institute of Anthropology and History said, “It is wrong, biased, and irresponsible to say that these sites are at risk from drug traffickers,” and maintains that “we retain control of the sites.” did.
Fortunately, Chiapas’ most famous Mayan ruins, the Palenque Temple Complex, are open to the public and safe for tourists.
Still, tourists have canceled about 5% of their booked trips to the region, which residents fear could be a severe blow to an economy that relies heavily on tourism dollars.
“There are communities that sell handicrafts and provide accommodation, boat tours and artisans. It has a huge impact on the economy,” said one of the local guides. “We have to remember that this is an agricultural state with no industry or factories, so tourism is one of the few sources of labor and an instrument of the economy.”
