Canadian government asking travellers to avoid Mexico for now
Posted January 7, 2023 10:36 am.
Last Updated January 7, 2023 10:37 am.
If you’re planning on travelling to Mexico in the next couple of weeks, you may want to postpone.
Reported violence and civil unrest in Sinaloa, Mexico after the arrest of Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of former cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, is slowing airline travel in and out of the area and presenting safety concerns.
As a result, the federal government is warning Canadians not to travel to Mexico right now. The Government of Canada’s website travel advisory on Mexico says to exercise a high degree of caution if travel is necessary, and to avoid all non-essential travel to several regions and cities in the country.
“There are burning cars, exchanges of fire and threat to essential infrastructure, including airports…The Culiacán and Mazatlán airports reopened on January 6, 2023. Los Mochis airport remains closed,” read the website.
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The Canadian government also says all citizens in Mexico, which is upwards of 13,000 according to Global Affairs Canada, should shelter in place and avoid leaving their resort or residence.
Canadians in the country who are in need of emergency assistance are asked to call the Embassy of Canada to Mexico, in Mexico City, or the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa.
Meanwhile, an earlier report showed that airlines WestJet and Sunwing had cancelled all flights in and out of some airports in the region, but as of Jan. 7, WestJet appears to have one flight going each way connecting Calgary, Alberta to Mazatlan this afternoon.
