Lorena Ochoa shares perspective on drug violence in Mexico

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

RANCHO MIRAGE -- There’s no denying the significant influenceLPGA golfer Lorena Ochoa holds in the Mexican community.

Before making the traditional leap into Poppie’s Pond after winning last year’s Kraft Nabisco Championship, the Guadalajara native was serenaded with a five-piece mariachi band.

The L.A. Times’ Kevin Baxter and Cecilia Sanchez recently reported how Ochoa’s popularity has influenced Mexican female golfers to attend school in the United States.

So it’s fitting that Ochoa was asked at a press conference today in Rancho Mirage about the escalating violence in Mexico spurred by its drug war.

‘I think there’s been a little bit of a misunderstanding,’ Ochoa told reporters. ‘Especially in Guadalajara and in Mexico City, it’s been safe there the last couple of years. A lot of things are happening in the north of the country, and it’s a really bad situation. But I think the government is working as hard as they can. I think for the first time, they are pushing harder and bringing a lot of people to be involved in that situation.’

The L.A. Times’ Ken Ellingwood reported on U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent visit to Mexico. He wrote, ‘Clinton said the U.S. has a duty to help since it is a major consumer of illicit drugs and a key supplier of weapons smuggled to cartel hit men.’

Last month, the U.S. Department of State issued an alert, warning travelers ‘to understand the risks of travel to Mexico’ while stressing ‘millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year.’ Nonetheless, a school in York, Pa., canceled a class trip there, citing safety concerns.

Ochoa stressed most of Mexico isn’t at risk.

‘It’s a safe place, so I feel OK,’ Ochoa said. ‘I live there, my whole family lives there. When I visit Mexico City, it’s always a little bit tougher. It’s a bigger city, a lot of traffic and a lot of things going on there, but I feel comfortable. I think that I haven’t received anything but good support and I appreciate that very much.’

-- Mark Medina