This weekend, Mexico experienced a shock that is not often seen: Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, alias El Mencho, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed during a federal forces operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco. This event triggered a wave of violence in the state and in other states across the country, with roadblocks, fires, and attacks on businesses as part of reprisals by criminal cells following confirmation of his death.
The news had immediate consequences: flights and mass events in the state were canceled, businesses closed temporarily, and banks, shopping centers, and service units were left vulnerable and at risk, forcing any entrepreneur to rethink their operations in a country where normality can disappear in a matter of hours. However, not everything in this episode of violence can be interpreted as chaos. There are those who have highlighted, and I join them, the work of the forces that acted in the operation: the Ministry of National Defense, the Mexican Army, the National Guard, and the Air Force, for their role in the operation and for coordinating with state governments during the most critical moments.
For anyone with money on the table, the violence we are experiencing in Jalisco means that when a city preparing for large-scale events enters into a crisis of this magnitude, the confidence of foreign and domestic investors suffers. Nothing scares investors more than a lack of physical and legal guarantees. Mexico has a reputation for promising growth, but also for severe vulnerabilities in terms of security. Capital does not remain where assets can be destroyed on the fly, especially when they affect financial or service infrastructure.
On the other hand, the city of Guadalajara will be one of the venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The fact that a metropolis with such responsibility is experiencing a crisis of violence of this magnitude a few months before the event is a warning to all economic actors involved. The costs of organizing and operating international events are based on the idea of minimum security, fluid mobility, active tourism, and a perception of stability.
International tourists, especially those from markets such as the United States and Europe, view these events with real concern. Warnings from foreign governments and the cancellation of direct flights to tourist destinations are clear indicators that the perception of security matters as much as reality itself.
The Ministry of Tourism, headed by Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, whose work at international fairs such as Fitur 2026 excellently promoted Mexico as a safe and attractive destination, now faces a challenge. After achieving global promotion, investment agreements, and image campaigns to attract tourists, all of this is at risk if international travel continues to be canceled and visitors perceive Mexico as a dangerous place.
In tourism, a crisis of perception can take months, if not years, of recovery efforts. The impact of security mistakes that lead to “stay at home” announcements by embassies or flight cancellations can bring down vacation demand in entire regions.
The message to Mexican business leaders is brutal but clear: you cannot expand a company, attract investment, or build markets without security. The gains brought by stability evaporate when violence takes hold in the country’s major cities. If Mexico wants to remain attractive to businesspeople and tourists, it is time to demand tangible results in security that go beyond official speeches, moderate investment volatility, and protect the prestige acquired through years of international promotion.
If violence is allowed to disrupt critical infrastructure such as airports, highways, or banks, no amount of tourism fairs or global agreements will compensate for the loss of confidence. The economy does not operate in the abstract; it operates where families, employees, and tourists feel safe. And in that regard, Jalisco has just shown that we are far from having real certainty.
