Situation in Mexico ‘should normalize’ after cartel leader’s death, Anand says

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand provides update on the violence in Mexico and warns of misinformation on social media about the situation.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says her counterpart in Mexico has signalled to her the “situation should normalize” following the killing of a cartel leader and eruption of violence in the country.

On Sunday, the Mexican army killed the leader of a major drug cartel during a security operation near Puerto Vallarta, in western Mexico. Authorities later deployed the army and the National Guard to restore order, following a surge of violence and unrest.

Anand is urging Canadians in Mexico to register with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) in order to receive updates about affected regions, the list of which has been expanded since Sunday.

She said the “situation remains fluid.”

“I am concerned with the safety and security of Canadians, first and foremost,” Anand told reporters on Parliament Hill Monday. “In my conversation with (Mexican) Foreign Minister (Juan Ramon) de la Fuente last evening, he indicated that the situation should stabilize in the coming days, and that this was a targeted operation which will not continue.”

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Asked whether she believes Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has the situation under control, Anand said her concern is for the safety of Canadians. She also said she was not given any forewarning the security operation would be taking place, nor does she believe other Canadian government officials were informed.

“This is an operation that the Mexican government decided to undertake regarding the domestic affairs of Mexico,” Anand said, when asked whether she has offered help to the Mexican government. “Our concern is the safety and security of Canadians, and the assistance that we are offering is to ensure that Canadians remain safe and sound.”

“I, as mentioned, spoke with my Mexican counterpart,” she added. “He did not request any assistance, as he believes that this is a very targeted operation, and the situation should normalize.”

She said despite not having any warning the operation was happening, she “appreciated” speaking with de la Fuente “as soon as possible” on Sunday, and that the two have been “staying in very close touch.”

Anand said more than 26,000 Canadians in Mexico have registered with GAC, an increase of nearly 8,000 from the same time yesterday.

Asked about complaints from Canadians that the Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA) website crashed on Sunday, Anand said the system is now up and running after initial “technical difficulties” from a “surge in volume.”

She added that in addition to ROCA and the call centre, there are also consular officials on the ground in Mexico.

“I want to assure Canadians that we are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that we are providing the most accurate advice possible, and we are doing that on a rolling basis,” she said.

Anand said there are currently no plans to send planes — whether military or otherwise — to bring Canadians back from Mexico.

With files from CTV News’ Lynn Chaya