A recent adjustment to Canada’s travel advisory for Mexico has stirred political tensions, with lawmakers from both the governing and opposition parties weighing in on the issue.
Global Affairs Canada updated its advisory on Nov. 13, reducing the threat level for certain areas of Mazatlán, in the state of Sinaloa, while keeping warnings for the rest of the country unchanged.
“Levels of crime, particularly violent crime, are high throughout Mexico,” the advisory states.
CBC News reports that media outlets mischaracterized the advisory, suggesting Canada had issued a new warning for 14 of Mexico’s 31 states, plus Mexico City.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government would seek clarification from the Canadian Embassy in Mexico and downplayed the advisory’s impact.
“These types of advisories don’t count for much,” Sheinbaum said, noting an 11% increase in tourism from Canada this year.
The advisory is based on organized crime activity in several regions of the country and recommends against non-essential travel to Sinaloa outside of Los Mochis and specific areas in Mazatlán, advising Canadians to “exercise a high degree of caution.”
CBC reports, Deputy Mario Zamora Gastélum of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) said thousands of people have been murdered or disappeared in the past year in western Mexico, and a recent survey showed 90% of residents in Culiacán live in fear.
Deputy Paulina Rubio Fernández of the National Action Party (PAN) said the advisory underscores the federal government’s failure to curb violence.
“Canadian travellers have been physically and sexually assaulted. In some cases, hotel employees, taxi drivers and security personnel at popular tourist destinations were involved. Sometimes, hotel staff are not helpful and try to dissuade victims from reporting the incident to the police,” the statement reads.
“There are reports of individuals posing as police officers and driving cars resembling police vehicles committing:
- robberies
- physical assault
- sexual assault
If you are in Mexico:
- avoid walking after dark
- avoid deserted streets at night and isolated areas
The advisory states:
Fighting between criminal gangs and cartels has taken place in:
- restaurants
- hotels
- nightclubs
“Innocent bystanders have been injured or killed. You may be in the wrong place at the wrong time and become a victim of violent crime.”
Francisco Aguilar Ordóñez, president of the hoteliers and restaurateurs association in Acapulco, called on Canada to retract the advisory.
Global Affairs Canada spokesperson John Babcock told CBC News, Ottawa “does not comment on the details of diplomatic discussions.”
If you plan on travelling to Mexico:
- be vigilant
- don’t show signs of affluence
- stay in tourist areas
- be very cautious on the roads, including major highways
- avoid travelling at night
- research your destination thoroughly
- monitor local media for the latest information
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