Re: July 2 Advocate travel story, No worries, no danger during Mexico camping trip
The reality is that both Canada and the U.S. have travel advisories for Mexico.
A recent report released by the federal government indicated that Mexico is the most dangerous destination for Canadians. Since 2006, there have been 112 Canadian deaths. Of those, 15 were murdered.
A Canadian woman was stabbed to death just last week in San Miguel de Allende. Last year alone, 111 U.S. citizens were killed in Mexico.
Incidents with tourists also include assault, rape and robbery. All major cruise lines have cancelled scheduled stops in Puerto Vallarta due to a lack of acceptable safety levels.
Anyone with experience travelling in Mexico knows there is little in the way of police protection for tourists. There is a reason the writer saw all police carrying Uzis.
The Canadian embassy has no authority to interfere in the Mexican justice system. You are on your own.
I have made numerous trips to Mexico over the last 20 years, covering a great deal of the country by car, bus and plane. I have stayed in everything from hostels to five-star hotels and have not encountered problems.
Times have changed though. With the killing of a young American on a Cancun street the last time I was there, I won’t go again until policing changes are made. The odds of that are slim. I suggest you take a sunny holiday somewhere new, like Costa Rica.
Lloyd Johnson
Red Deer