Canada’s ambassador to the US is urging all Canadians in Mexico to contact the Canadian embassy for assist amid unrest and violence within the nation following the arrest of a son of infamous jailed drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
“I actually urge all Canadians to contact the embassy … and they’ll get the data they want,” Canada’s US Ambassador Kirsten Hillman mentioned in an interview with CTV Information chief correspondent Vassy Kapelos.
“Now we have an embassy in Mexico and two consulates, and in a state of affairs like this, it is crucial for Canadians to get in contact with … these Canadian consular representatives within the nation and get the data they should … get to.” behave and what to do.”
This comes because the Canadian authorities is advising Canadians at the moment in Mexico to “restrict their native actions and lodging the place potential” amid “widespread violence and safety operations” in Sinaloa state, following the arrest of a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa cartel Ovidio Guzman Lopez on Thursday.
“There are burning vehicles, exchanges of gunfire and threats to important infrastructure, together with airports,” the up to date journey advisory mentioned.
Canadians in Mexico are additionally being urged to keep away from areas the place massive gatherings are going down, monitor native media for info and observe instructions from native authorities.
Based on the Canadian Overseas Registry Database, 13,349 Canadians are at the moment in Mexico as of Friday afternoon, however that is not a whole image.
People requiring emergency consular help are inspired to contact the World Affairs Canada Response Heart by telephone, textual content message or electronic mail.
Karina Dahl-Olsen is at the moment touring in Mazatlan, a Pacific resort city within the besieged state of Sinaloa, Mexico.
“We had been instructed that every one vacationers particularly ought to keep indoors,” Dahl-Olsen instructed CTV Information Channel on Friday. “We’re suggested to not go outdoors and be too seen for concern of vacationers being particularly kidnapped and killed.”
After a 4 month street journey she is now planning to remain for a number of days and see how issues go.
“Thus far we’ve got at all times felt actually protected. Yesterday was the primary evening we fell asleep to machine gun fireplace,” Dahl-Olsen mentioned. “We did not see any actual motion right here, however we did hear the gunfire and the army helicopters within the air.”
TRUDEAU STILL GOES TO THE SUMMIT DESPITE CIVIL UNREST
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is able to journey to Mexico Metropolis subsequent week to attend a summit of North American leaders alongside US President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
When requested in regards to the standing of the journey given the present state of affairs, a supply in Trudeau’s workplace instructed CTV Information that they’re monitoring the state of affairs in Mexico very intently. The Sinaloa area, the place safety issues exist, is greater than 1,200 kilometers from the place the high-level worldwide assembly is scheduled to happen.
On Friday, it was introduced that Secretary of State Melanie Joly and Secretary of State Mary Ng will accompany Trudeau to the Jan. 10 summit, aiming to debate “frequent priorities” with their respective Mexican and American counterparts.
Hillman mentioned the “Three Amigos” summit will happen instantly.
“The plan is that we go,” she mentioned. “After all we’ll take all obligatory precautions.”
With a file from senior political correspondent for CTV Information Channel’s Mike Le Couteur