Ottawa/CMEDIA: After widespread violence which had led Canadian airlines to temporarily suspend service on the weekend, they are flying in and out of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on Tuesday.
But Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand had refused to say Monday whether Canadians should reconsider upcoming travel plans to Mexico.
Air Canada, Air Transat, WestJet and Porter Airlines have all announced they will be resuming flights to and from the popular western Mexican resort city, with WestJet also offering service to Guadalajara and Manzanillo.
After the death of a notorious cartel leader as part of a Mexican government operation, tourists and locals in multiple regions of Mexico were told to shelter in place to escape violence that erupted on Sunday.
Over 55,000 Canadians in Mexico have registered with Ottawa as of 7 a.m. ET on Monday. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told reporters Tuesday morning that
People are being advised by Global Affairs Canada to exercise a high degree of caution in Mexico.
Canadians should follow the guidance of local authorities, Anand said as the situation is evolving and can differ from region to region in Mexico.
“The long and the short of it is, the situation is becoming more normalized. We should continue to see this trajectory unfolding. The situation needs to be closely monitored as we are doing with our consular officials on the ground in Mexico,” she said.
When asked whether Canadians with planned trips to Mexico should cancel their flights, Anand said decisions should be taken on a day-to-day basis even as the situation appears to be improving.
“The advice that our government is providing is that this is a situation that is very volatile and it is evolving every day,” she said.
“To make a decision about your plans for next week on Tuesday of the week before may be premature.”
