| | |  Americas & Beyond | February 2009 
Canada Issues Mexican Travel Warning
 Canadian Press
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| | Canada issues travel warning for Mexico (CBC.ca) | |
Ottawa — Things are getting ugly in parts of Mexico, and the federal government is warning Canadians not to get caught in the crossfire.
The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday updated its travel report on Mexico in light of the bloody drug cartel wars that have thrown some cities into chaos.
It recommends Canadians "exercise a high degree of caution" when travelling to areas in northern Mexico along the border with the United States.
Cities like Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez have become the frontline of a war between the government and increasingly powerful drug cartels. Mexico tripled its military presence this week in Ciudad Juarez, where even the police chief and the mayor's family have left town.
"Armed clashes between security forces and drug groups are commonplace in certain areas and could occur at any time without warning," the travel report reads. "Travellers could get caught in the crossfire."
Last year, 20 per cent more Canadians travelled to Mexico than the year before, rising to 1.4 million people
But the cities in question are not generally where Canadians travel. Snowbirds flock to the idyllic beaches of the Mayan Riviera, Puerto Vallarta, Hualtuco and other resort towns.
None of those locations were singled out in the travel report, although Cabo San Lucas and Acapulco are located in states that were mentioned - Baja California and Guerrero.
"You can see that certainly the conventional tourist spots, the major tourist locations, don't have any more risk involved than at normal times," Peter Kent, Canada's junior foreign minister, said in an interview.
"But there are parts of Mexico off the beaten path . . . where there have been incidents lately, and they're itemized on the (departmental) website."
Kent called the advisory "really just a heads-up to remind folks there are situations in Mexico that can be risky, if not dangerous, and that people should think before they get into certain situations, certain locations."
Brad Miron, vice-president of business development at itravel2000, said people have to be careful not to paint the entire country with the same brush. He noted that the troubles in Ciudad Juarez are thousands of kilometres away from the swaying palm trees of Cancun.
"I spend about three-and-a-half months a year in Mexico. The southern beach resorts are ... like anywhere in the world. You have to take your own precautions, you have to be aware of your surroundings and not let your guard down," said Miron.
"Mexico, on a per capital basis, is one of the safest places in the world to travel."
The U.S. State Department has gone further than Canada, issuing a travel alert. It has told diplomatic staff to curtail all non-essential travel to Durango and other hotspots.
It has also warned spring breakers to keep their wits about them when travelling into volatile Mexican border towns.
"Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana and Nogales are among the cities which have recently experienced public shootouts during daylight hours in shopping centres and other public venues," says the State Department.
"Criminals have followed and harassed U.S. citizens travelling in their vehicles in border areas including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, and Tijuana." |
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