One in 20 Quintana Roo Families Owns a Firearm, Military Says

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — One in 20 families in Quintana Roo owns a firearm for home protection, according to the commander of the Mexican Army’s 34th Military Zone, who said keeping a gun at home is a constitutional right as long as it is not carried in public without a permit.

Fidel Mondragón Rivero, the zone commander, said there is no precise registry of private firearms in the state, but interest among residents remains high, driven largely by a perception of insecurity despite recent improvements in public safety indicators.

“We don’t have the exact figure, but citizens continue to be interested in weapons for home defense. It is a constitutional right as long as they remain in their homes; carrying them is not allowed,” he said.

The National Survey of Urban Public Security (ENSU), conducted by the national statistics agency INEGI, showed a decline in perceived insecurity in both Cancún and Chetumal. In Cancún, the figure dropped from 74.9% to 70.1%, while in Chetumal it fell from 66.4% to 62.1%.

Mondragón Rivero urged gun owners to take part in the Voluntary Disarmament program currently underway in Quintana Roo. The Peace and Voluntary Disarmament Fairs began July 27 and will hold 14 sessions in the municipalities of Othón P. Blanco, Playa del Carmen, Benito Juárez, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, and José María Morelos.

The Executive Secretariat of the State System for Public Safety (SESESC) aims to collect at least 700 weapons, ammunition, and explosives during the campaign, with a focus on rural communities in the southern part of the state, where residents can exchange firearms for cash. Last year, 693 weapons, ammunition, and magazines were handed in. The initiative also includes exchanging toy guns for educational and sports materials to promote a culture of peace.