A member of Mexico’s ruling party claims that recent coverage of a modified Canadian travel advisory for Mexico was exploited to criticize Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Global Affairs Canada adjusted its travel warning for Mexico on Nov. 13, lowering the risk assessment for specific areas in the city of Mazatlán on the Pacific Coast. The core components of the advisory remained unchanged.
However, local media erroneously stated that Canada had issued a fresh travel alert for Mexico covering 14 out of the country’s 31 states, along with Mexico City. This misleading information sparked a series of reports starting on Monday evening and continuing throughout the week. It is common for updates to Canadian travel advisories to trigger local news stories in the targeted countries, often without seeking clarification from Canadian authorities beforehand.
The coverage emerged following an anti-government protest in Mexico City on Nov. 15, where concerns about escalating insecurity in the country were a central focus. The protest, primarily led by Generation Z youth groups, turned violent as masked demonstrators dismantled barriers at the National Palace, leading to clashes with riot police using tear gas and smoke bombs.
The protest coincided with the assassination of Carlos Manzo, an outspoken anti-cartel mayor in Uruapan, Michoacán, earlier in the month, sparking widespread protests in the state. Deputy Maribel Solache González of the ruling National Regeneration Movement (Morena) party criticized the opposition’s use of security concerns to attack the government, emphasizing the impact of the Canadian travel advisory rhetoric.
Sheinbaum stated that her government would seek clarification from the Canadian Embassy regarding the advisory, dismissing its significance given the 11% rise in Canadian tourism to Mexico this year. The Mexican government’s response to the advisory remains unclear at this point.
Opposition lawmakers argue that the Canadian travel advisory accurately reflects the security situation in Mexico. Deputy Mario Zamora Gastélum from the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) highlighted the ongoing security challenges in Sinaloa and criticized the Morena administrations for failing to address the issue effectively.
The Canadian travel advisory advises against non-essential travel to Sinaloa outside specific areas in Mazatlán, where Canadians are advised to exercise caution. Deputy Paulina Rubio Fernández from the National Action Party (PAN) in Jalisco criticized the federal government’s security strategy, highlighting the growing violence in various states and the government’s failure to address it adequately.
Francisco Aguilar Ordóñez from the hoteliers and restaurateurs association in Acapulco, Guerrero, urged Canada to retract the travel advisory entirely, emphasizing the safety and hospitality offered to Canadian visitors in the region.
