ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO—Seven members of a California Rotary club joined with about 20 local Rotarians and Rosarito residents Saturday in an event to demonstrate this tourist area is perfectly safe for visitors.
The event organized by Rotarians from Cambria, California was officially a beach maintenance session but Bruce Howard, past president of that club, said its main purpose was to help eliminate inaccurate perceptions that have developed in the U.S.
“We want to tell people that Baja is safe,” said Howard, who owns a vacation home in Rosarito. “We’re coming down, we love coming down and we feel safe and welcome and comfortable here.”
Howard said media coverage of the Mexican government’s aggressive crackdown on drug cartels, including some sensationalized stories, has created the impression among some in the U.S. that the area is unsafe for visitors.
“Those of us who love this area and visit it often know that is not true,” Howard said. “But unfortunately the perception is seen as reality by many and it has badly hurt the economy and many people here.”
Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres thanked Howard and those attending for their effort: “We appreciate you thinking of Rosarito and trusting us when we say that we’re truly safe for visitors.”
Howard also urged all the Rotarians to send news of the event to their local papers in the U.S. Joining Howard for the trip from Cambria were Sharon Harvey, Socorro Simmons, David May, Tommy Howard, Vikki Hansen and Dennis White.
Members of the two local clubs, Club Playas de Rosarito and the Rotary Club of Rosarito, also helped organize the event and participated. The clubs will join together for future events also, said Rosarito Rotarian Jorge Villanueva.
Some of the Rotarians wore yellow vests for the beach maintenance, which took about two hours. “The beaches are cleaner here than the ones at home,” Howard said.
Some local residents as well as Rosarito Rotarians and members of the city’s Convention & Visitors Bureau also joined in. Howard said several Rotarians from clubs in Southern California as well as Wyoming also participated.
ROSARITO CONTACT:
Ron Raposa
(619)948-3740
ronraposa@hotmail.com
U.S. ROTARY CONTACT:
Bruce Howard
(805) 909-0780
bruce@brucehowardrealtor.com