Calgarians urged to shelter in place as cartel violence erupts in Puerto Vallarta

Calgarians in Mexico recount firebombs and unrest in the streets after a cartel boss's killing. Canadians in Mexico were told to shelter in place by GAC.

A wave of violence sparked by a high-profile military operation in Mexico has grounded flights and left scores of Calgary travellers hunkered down in the Puerto Vallarta region.

The unrest began Sunday following a Mexican government operation that killed a powerful drug cartel leader known as “El Mencho.”

The aftermath turned popular tourist corridors into scenes of an apocalypse, according to witnesses, as cartels responded with co-ordinated attacks.

Chris Lewis, a CTV public safety analyst in Playa Del Carmen, said the cartels’ tactics are designed to project power and create instability.

“The cartels are still making their stand against the government and trying to make people uneasy,” Lewis said.

“That’s working. People are uneasy, obviously.”

‘Pillars of black smoke’

Calgarian Geraldine Vanderveen was heading to church in Puerto Vallarta when the chaos began to unfold.

“As you’re driving, we see all these pillars of black smoke around us,” Vanderveen said.

“We thought, ‘This does not feel right.’”

While the violence has since simmered, the atmosphere remains tense.

Vanderveen said local authorities have instructed visitors to remain indoors as a precaution.

“The roads are still eerily quiet,” she said.

“They’ve told us just to hunker down (and) stay inside. It’s still not safe.”

Streets like an ‘apocalypse’

Former CTV journalist Don Martin was on a whale-watching tour when the violence broke out.

He described a disturbing walk back from the docks through streets littered with the remnants of the conflict.

“Weaving through the carnage, there was burnt buses and cars and stores that had been firebombed,” Martin said.

“The streets were like an apocalypse, empty. There was no one out there.”

Martin said that while a few essential shops have reopened with long lineups, much of the area remains under lockdown.

Government response

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said the Canadian government received no warning from Mexico regarding the military operation.

Despite the lack of notice, she said her Mexican counterparts expect the situation to “normalize” shortly.

“All Canadians in affected regions should heed the direction of local authorities and travel only when it is safe to do so,” Anand said.

More than 26,000 Canadians have already registered with Global Affairs Canada to receive emergency updates.

Travel outlook

The violence has severely disrupted airline schedules, but relief might be on the horizon.

Canada’s ambassador to Mexico said international flights are expected to resume Tuesday.

Both Air Transat and Calgary-based WestJet have confirmed plans to resume service Tuesday.

However, the airlines are urging passengers to check their flight status online before attempting to travel to the airport.