![On June 30, in Tuxtla Gutiérrez – the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Chiapas – police officers guard a vehicle from which 16 public officials were kidnapped](https://imagenes.elpais.com/resizer/v2/5IKG5DMWVTPEO2MGS4UUYF3C5U.jpg?auth=50949e9c8015c0a269ffd34bf8bb1149ebef4a74af9bf145dee092391c90d6cd&width=414&height=233&smart=true)
Chiapas: a paradise for tourists, but an enclave of violence for residents
The day after being named a ‘magical town’ by Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism, a criminal group kidnapped 16 public officials in Ocozocoautla. This small town illustrates the contrasts that exist in the country’s southernmost state, which is experiencing a wave of violence