From his store in the affluent Mexico City suburb of Polanco, Columbia-born Miguel Caballero designs and distributes bulletproof clothing for clients around the world

Mr Caballero discusses his clothing designs with Baltasar Garzón, the crusading Spanish judge, during the Las Americas security exposition in Mexico City

Employees at Global Armor fit bulletproof panels to vehicles at their plant in Mexico City. The price of vehicles typically ranges from $35,000-$80,000

The additional bulletproofing material can add 700kg to the weight of a standard vehicle

Global Armor welder Carlos Perez Aviles inside one of the plant's prototype vehicles. According to employees, the glass can withstand a bullet from an AK-47 assault rifle

Mauricio Natale, director-general of Global Armor in Mexico, says more and more executives have upgraded to bulletproof vehicles

A member of a Mexican private security team travels alongside his boss's car ready for action. The scramble for blindaje, as bulletproofing is called in Spanish, is particularly strong among multinational companies

In response to an alarming rise in kidnappings, the number of bodyguards in Mexico has risen 40 per cent since 2007 to about 22,000 today

Watching and waiting: vigilance is a key skill for a bodyguard

As he keeps watch over a wedding, this bodyguard is in discreet communication with his colleagues

Groups of bodyguards keep a vigilant eye on proceedings outside a family wedding

A personal bodyguard keeps watch over a young girl as she has her hair done for a party

While Mexican bodyguards are armed, many rely on a more spiritual means of protection

A bodyguard prepares for a long day at work

While training is critical, even the most well-drilled private security team is no guarantee against kidnapping

Two bodyguards undergo weapons training in central Mexico

Fed up with the the increasing violence, Mexican citizens have taken to the streets in protest

A candle-lit vigil for peace in the capital's Zocalo Square. Many of the victims of kidnapping are children