The tragic story behind this photo
At a first glance, Cancun beach in Mexico looks like one of the most pristine places on earth. It has spectacular white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters that attracts many tourists each year.
However, there is a record of crime in this popular destination that is being hidden from the rest of the world.
Located in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, Cancun’s murder rate has doubled this past year – with 169 killings in the first half of 2017. Drugs, extortion and murders occur without consequence in Cancun
Recently, British journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy visited Cancun for SBS’s Dateline to investigate why these many murders are taking place.
“This is one of the most beautiful views in the world and we are the only people here,” Guru-Murthy said from Cancun’s main beach.
Later on in the day, Guru-Murthy saw the busy beach transform into a crime scene as four men came through a luxury hotel and shot a man. He later died in hospital.
To Guru-Murthy’s surprise, most tourists were unaware of the shocking event that was unfolding around them just metres away. He was surprised by the lack of police presence in this notorious spot.
“It’s as if the police don’t want anyone to notice. There’s minimum fuss and hardly any officers here,” he said.
Image credit: SBS
This attack is already the third shooting that has occurred on the beach in Cancun this year, yet there is no media coverage of what is going on.
“We’ve been told that local politicians here have put the press under pressure not to report violence in this area, because if the tourists are scared away from here, it will be an economic disaster not only for Cancun, but for Mexico.”
Sadly a well-known police commander, his wife and baby nephew were shot dead, in a separate attack during Dateline’s visit and nobody was arrested.
Many are worried the paradise of Cancun will become lost in the depravity of crime and face a similar demise to Acapulco, which was once a glamorous location that has been turned into Mexico’s murder capital.
Mexico Beach Wars airs on SBS Dateline, Tuesday 13 March at 9.30pm.