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Global Affairs Canada is now telling Canadians in Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara to go to airports only if they have a confirmed flight, “and it is safe to do so,” two days after violence erupted across Mexico.
“The situation in Mexico is becoming more stable … although the tension and instability varies across the country,” Foreign Minister Anita Anand said. he told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday morning.
“For that reason, we advise Canadians who remain in Mexico at this time to follow the advice of local authorities.”
CBC News has reached out to the GAC multiple times for clarification on that advice and has yet to hear back.
But according to a government news release from the state of Jalisco, all economic and productive activities were scheduled to resume on Tuesday, including reopening convenience stores, grocery stores, supermarkets, banking institutions and inter-city transport routes.
After the death of a known cartel leader as part of a government operation, gunmen blocked highways and burned cars in several cities on Sunday, residents in several provinces were advised to take shelter and Canadian airlines canceled flights to and from the region.
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is still advising people to exercise a high level of caution when in Mexico and avoid non-essential travel to several states, saying the security situation “could rapidly deteriorate” across the country.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says Canadians in parts of Mexico affected by the recent violence should follow the advice of local authorities and make sure they use the government’s free registration program for Canadians Abroad, adding that about 55,000 people have done so since Tuesday morning.
Late Monday night, the GAC updated its warning to add that, “while no new significant security incidents were reported in those areas on Feb. 23, other incidents may occur in these areas and elsewhere throughout Mexico.”
The agency noted that local authorities have reopened roads, airports in Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara are open, and international flights are scheduled to resume on Tuesday – but stay-at-home orders are still in effect in Jalisco and Nayarit.
“Go to the airport only if you have a confirmed flight, and it is safe to do so.”
Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat and Porter all said they would resume scheduled flights on Tuesday.
About 55,000 Canadians in Mexico have registered with the GAC as of Tuesday morning, Anand said.
It’s back to normal
Les Wallace, 63, of Oakville, Ont., says it appears to him that things are returning to “closer to normal.” Nuevo Vallarta, just north of Puerto Vallarta, where he and his wife live at a resort.
He noted that grocery stores reopened Monday, albeit with long lines, and that the Tuesday farmers market was open, with most vendors present.
“Who knows what the future holds, but it looks like we’re back on track,” Wallace told CBC News.
Should you still take that vacation to Mexico you’ve been planning? Travel insurance broker Martin Firestone says it’s a personal choice, but travelers should know how cancellation and disruption insurance works before making a decision.
He added, however, that he knows that staying at the resort gives a limited idea of what it can be like in the heart of Puerto Vallarta.
“At the resort, it’s beers by the pool as usual.”
According to a Jalisco government press release, written in Spanish, officials have stepped up their tacticsmonitoring of land routes “to ensure the safe return of people who took refuge in tourist areas last weekend.”
And in Puerto Vallarta, officials sent workers to ensure the resumption of public transportation services, food services and facilities for the Hotel Zone and the general public, the press release adds.
However, noted Jalisco is still under code red, and the government will decide today if that continues.
