When senior Henry Caputo decided to travel to Cancún with his friends for spring break, he was ecstatic. A few weeks later, geopolitical tensions regarding cartel violence in that region erupted, swiftly ending his plans and dramatically changing his perspective.
One week before spring break, the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iran, resulting in retaliation and escalation into a full-scale war. Iran’s targeting of U.S. military bases in the Middle East prompted the government to release a list of 14 countries from which Americans had to immediately evacuate, including the United Arab Emirates.
Because strikes hit U.S. bases in Dubai, the UAE was one of the countries on that list. Initially, sophomore Sophie Patel’s family planned on delaying their flight to Dubai following the recent conflicts in the Middle East. After their flight’s cancellation and warnings from the news advising against travel within the region, Patel and her family swiftly postponed their plans.
“It’s scary to think about how something like that could have been so close to where I was staying,” Patel said. “I didn’t expect it at all.”
Patel also shared her broader reflections on the current war from a St. John’s perspective.
“Horrific events, like bombing or other forms of violence, are normalized every day. Especially here at St. John’s, we are increasingly safe and protected.” Patel said. “We have security guards, and it’s not something we can imagine going through in our daily life.”
As seen in Iran and Mexico, geopolitical tensions have escalated among nations across the globe over the past couple months. In Mexico, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as “El Mencho,” was assassinated by Mexican police working in tandem with the Sheinbaum administration, sparking a wave of cartel violence predicated on regional disputes. Though the source of the conflict remains in the state of Jalisco, the brutality of the warfare instilled fear in Mexican residents and people around the world.
On the other side of the globe, Mexico faced its own set of military extremes. The senior spring break, a hallmark of senior culture, included common destinations such as the Bahamas and Mexico. While he ended up not canceling his plans to spend his break in Mexico, Caputo was set on edge by the cartel conflicts. Although the current violence has not spread to Cancún, the mere possibility of encountering violence in a nation rife with violence certainly caused many to feel very frightened.
“I was very hesitant; like, ‘this happened very close by, and I’m going to the same place,’” Caputo said.
Sofia Kiyama, a senior who also decided on traveling to Cancun, relayed her opinions regarding the geopolitical implications of her trip.
“I hear a lot of people complaining about their vacation being ruined, and not a lot of empathy for the people in Mexico whose daily lives are actually being affected,” said Kiyama. “I think that really shows how privileged we are.
