The growing crime wave in the state of Guanajuato has already hit the Japanese community and therefore the leader of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Mexico A.C, Kosuke Takeo, asks his fellow countrymen to avoid leaving their homes if it is not necessary, especially at night.
Kosuke Takeo acknowledged that the main concern of working in Mexico is insecurity, even above the commercial threats made by the US President, Donald Trump, because through the media he realizes the complicated situation of insecurity in some municipalities of the state, such as Salamanca and Salvatierra.
“Members of the Japanese community in Guanajuato used to travel around the state visiting tourist attractions, but lately the situation does not allow this, so we are recommending that they go out only if necessary,” said the businessman and also CEO of the NHK company.
Although he admitted not to be a victim of insecurity, he said that one of his colleagues had an awefull exprience and preferred to return to Japan, which resulted in the loss of valuable human resources. “Japanese are good people, very capable, very hardworking, but they are not willing to risk their lives and their families’ lives, that is the reality”, he stated.
Kosuke Takeo (Photo: Nayeli García for Periodico Correo)
Kosuke Takeo ruled out that the Japanese companies installed in Guanajuato could decide to leave the state due to the insecurity situation that prevails, as this would imply another very strong loss, but he did consider a possibility that future investments might not come through due to the wave of violence.
However, he considered that despite all Guanajuato is one of the best entities to live and even recommended that more Japanese companies to come to the state, “I believe that Guanajuato is still very strong, the support of the state government is very important and I recommend that they come to Guanajuato, “he said.
He asked the authorities to have a greater police presence as the main security strategy, but also to spread and carry out preventive actions so that people do not get involved in crime related activities, especially people living in poverty who sometimes get involved with crime sue to their social disadvantage.
On Saturday, September 1, armed individuals kidnapped a Japanese businessman, and kept him captive for about an hour. The man was returning to Irapuato from an industrial park in Abasolo and stopped at a gas station located in San Antonio de Ayala, where he was abducted and then left stranded in the rural community of Paso Blanco, without his vehicle and personal belongings. He managed to get back to Irapuato and denounced the robbery and the “express kidnapping” of which he was victim before the proper authorities. No arrests have been made in relation with this incident.
In July of this year, a Japanese national was reported stabbed in the shopping center known as Plaza Obelisco of the city of Irapuato, when he resisted an assault; two subjects intercepted him and demanded his belongings, and when he refused, he was wounded in the leg. No arrests have been made in relation with this incident.
The ex-Consul of Japan in Guanajuato, Yasushisha Suzuki was also a victim of crime when in December 2016 he stopped at a pharmacy in León, and as he went back to his vehicle just a few minutes later, he found it open and his suitcase with important documents stolen. No arrests were made in relation with this incident either.
SMT Newsroom with information from Periódico Correo
