MEXICO CITY — The exodus from Mexico City for the Easter holidays usually launches around Palm Sunday, then shifts into full gear right about now. This congested capital of about 20 million people virtually empties out.
This year, however, there have been signs that Mexicans rethought their holiday-travel patterns. And that bodes ill for public faith in the government’s efforts to make the country safe.
With a vicious war against drug cartels claiming hundreds of lives a month, and with that violence moving into traditional tourist areas such as the legendary coastal enclave of Acapulco, some Mexico City residents have decided it’s better to forgo the annual spring trip and stay at home.
And Mexicans elsewhere in the country are opting for a visit to the capital, a city that has emerged — improbably — as one of the safest spots around. On Thursday, lines were long at the Soumaya Museum, one of the capital’s newest art galleries.
“We had rented a van with friends and neighbors and were going to go to Acapulco,” said Carlos Ortega, 50, an office worker waiting to visit the museum with five companions. “But then several backed out, and with all the kidnappings, we thought it best to wait and see if things improve next year.”
