MAZATLAN, Mexico –
The mayor of a Mexican city gripped by a wave of drug cartel violence last week wasted no time in assuring Canadians and other foreign visitors that his city was safe for travelers.
Edgar Gonzalez, in a video posted online by the city of Mazatlán, walks through his city’s historic center on Friday, shaking hands and posing for photos with tourists.
“These same tourists who have practically settled in Mazatlán are very confident, very calm, we see them in the historic center calm, relaxed, without problems, without worry, they are in the restaurants, in the streets, in the galleries, on the promenade , everywhere completely relaxed, calm,” Gonzalez said in a news release that was translated and posted on Facebook by a regional tourism organization.
A number of Canadian tourists in northwestern Mexico had to stay in their hotels for several days after the arrest of a key suspected drug cartel leader fueled violence in the region.
Some described the area as “returning to normal” over the weekend, while others suggested the atmosphere of unrest continued.
Several airports that had been closed due to the violence had reopened by Saturday, and flights had resumed from Mazatlán to cities in western Canada, including Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Vancouver.
Global Affairs on Sunday continued to advise Canadians traveling to Sinaloa, the state where Mazatlán is located, to avoid non-essential travel “due to high levels of violence and organized crime,” but exempted Mazatlán itself from that warning.
Gonzalez noted that many tourists who visit the city return to live there and that they themselves defend and promote that Mazatlán is peaceful and must be visited.
“It brings me great peace and joy to see that everyone is out on the streets,” Gonzalez said in the news release.
Alyssa Johnson of Onward and Outward Travel in Edmonton said clients didn’t seem put off by news reports of the violence.
“I think it’s pretty isolated to one area,” Johnson said, noting she just booked a trip to the Cancun area.
Mazatlán also issued a news release noting that business associations stepped up to help travelers whose flights out of the region were delayed by the events, providing a number of free hotel rooms and meals.
Priority was given to tourists with low incomes, the elderly and people with disabilities, the announcement states.
The violence followed the arrest of suspected drug trafficker Ovidio (The Mouse) Guzman, who is the son of former cartel boss Joaquin (El Chapo) Guzman.
The Canadian government issued a shelter-in-place advisory on Thursday, saying the widespread violence included burning cars, exchanges of fire and threats to essential infrastructure, including airports.
People who posted on a social media group for expats in Mexico said the violence was limited to isolated areas and that they believed the advice was just a precaution.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on January 8, 2023.
Add Comment