Suicide rate grows in Yucatán

Mario Alberto, 32, carpenter, was tired of arguing with his ex-wife. He threatened to kill himself and send a photo to her cell phone so that she would believe him. Manuel, 28, dancer, was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder and alcoholism. Every time he got angry he said he would commit suicide; no one believed him. The two chose to hang themselves.

Until April 29 there have been 65 suicides in Yucatán, 20 more than in 2015, most of them in the municipality of Tekax, south of the state.

The Chan-Sulubs still regret the death of their son two years ago. His father Gilberto, 54, regrets not having helped his child, who was depressed after his wife left him. Mario Alberto is survived by his son, 7, who has come to believe that his mother is responsible for his father's death.

Reyna Sosa Rojas, leader of the NGO Raíces Mayas, says that 22 suicides were registered between 2013 and 2014 in the state, mainly among people aged 15 to 29.

Yucatán ranks third among the Mexican states with the highest number of suicides, with 8.6 cases for every 100 inhabitants, compared to 4.9 in the rest of the country. Quintana Roo is in the first place with 9.2, followed by Campeche, with 8.8.

The number of people who commit suicide in Mexico rose by 15.8% over the last 14 years, according to figures from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Mexico is only surpassed by Korea, Chile and Japan.