Been to both Panama and Costa Rica, and also (had a short visit in Mexico City), Cancun and Cozumel. If you stick to tourist areas, you should be pretty safe.
Want to expand a little on my previous post. Even in a seemingly safe place as Costa Rica, we were told that it was not a very good idea to rent a car and drive around the country on your own.
We are responsible for this shit. Our drug money makes all of this possible. Legalize ALL drugs tomorrow and this time next year we'll be looking at peaceful Mexico. Politics are more important than few thousands dead people somewhere in the third world. Love thy neighbor, indeed.
