After days of cartel violence following the arrest of one of the world's most notorious drug kingpins, things are returning to normally in northwest Mexico's Mazatlan.
Tourists and residents in the popular Pacific coast destination had been urged to stay off the streets amid gunfire and fighting in the state of Sinaloa, and travellers are still being urged to be cautious.
Most of the violence was focused in the city of Culiacan, about 2.5 hours away from Mazatlan and not a major tourist destination, but travellers also reported columns of smoke and burning vehicles in the Mazatlan area as well.
Mazatlan is a popular tourist destination for Canadians, especially from the west coast. It is also a desirable second home for many Canadian expatriates. Because the state is the headquarters for a major drug cartel, there's always a high police and military presence in the city.
Tourists are not generally considered targets for the criminal organizations, and no injuries to tourists were reported during the recent upsurge in violence. However, reports suggested that at the height of last week's unrest, at least one passenger plane departing from Culiacan came under fire.
The federal government continues to advise Canadians already in Sinaloa to shelter in place and limit their movements, as well as to avoid large crowds and demonstrations.
Mazatlan Mayor Edgar Gonzalez said in a news release that visitors can expect a safe experience. He also posted a video from a stroll through the city's historic centre on Friday, shaking hands and posing for pictures with tourists.
"These same tourists who are practically established in Mazatlán are very confident, very calm, we see them in the historic centre relaxed, calm, no problems, not worried, they are in the restaurants, in the streets, in the galleries, on the boardwalk, everywhere completely relaxed, calm," Gonzalez said.
WestJet says its operations in the region had resumed but that it continued to monitor the situation. Flights by WestJet, its low-cost subsidiary Swoop and Sunwing Airlines resumed on Saturday.
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