Living in Costa Rica Retirement Relocation Tours.

Retire in Mexico or Costa Rica?

Frequently I get asked this question on my relocation retirement tours and consultations. This answer is a no-brainer.  If you look what just transpired in Mexico, the answer should be very obvious.

Here is the text from La Nación, Costa Rica’s Spanish newspaper, published on August 31, 2008. “Thousands march in Mexico against the growing wave of violence.  People took to the streets today across the country demanding an end to the epidemic of killings, abductions and shootouts. “

The number of kidnappings now places Mexico on a level  with Iraq and Colombia. So far more people have been murdered this year than in all of 2007. The recent spiraling level of violence led President Calderón to deploy more than 40,000 soldiers and federal police to combat the country’s powerful drug cartels. However, this strategy has been a complete failure.

To give you an idea of the violent methods used by kidnappers, one 59-year old Mexican citizen said in an interview, ”Kidnappers are more violent now. They cut off the fingers or ears of victims and send them to their relatives to speed up the payment of the ransom.”  The straw that broke the camel’s back and cause the massive protests and outrage was the recent kidnapping of a 14-year-old boy even his wealthy father paid the ransom.

After reading this I don’t see how anyone in their right mind would consider living or retiring in Mexico.