A Hamilton union leader, stranded at Mexico tourism hotspot Puerto Vallarta, is full of praise for the “fantastic” Mexican people who are faced with upheaval and dealing with thousands of stranded tourists over the past few days.

“Even the owner of the hotel came in, she’s been here for two days running around trying to make sure everybody was safe and secure. The people have been fantastic,” said Richard Rigby, president of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 786.

Rigby arrived in Mexico with his partner on Feb. 11 for a vacation. They were scheduled to return to Canada on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET., when the region’s security situation deteriorated rapidly.

Before they could head to the airport, gunmen blocked highways and set cars ablaze in several cities after the death of a notorious cartel leader as part of a government operation.

Canadians in multiple regions were being advised to shelter in place and Canadian airlines cancelled flights to and from the region. About 55,000 Canadians in Mexico have now registered with the federal government.

“It was good that we stayed in our hotel room,” Rigby told CBC Hamilton via Zoom on Tuesday, adding that they had already checked out of the hotel to head to the airport on Sunday.

“We were watching the hockey game to see Canada and about 8 o’clock we started seeing smoke coming across our building.”

Rigby said he could see the coastline from his hotel as things escalated. “You could see places burning all along Puerto Vallarta so that we knew something was up,” he said.

Situation now ‘becoming more stable’

Rigby said the hotel advised them against trying to get to the airport as taxis weren’t running.

“As the day progressed, it started to get a little bit scarier,” including the firebombing of a convenience store at a nearby hotel, according to Rigby.  

“I think the not knowing was the scary part,” he said.

The violence in Mexico flared as federal authorities announced they had launched a special forces operation to capture Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

Oseguera Cervantes was wounded in a clash with federal authorities and died from his injuries while en route to Mexico City, the Secretariat of National Defence said in a statement.

The operation was initially launched in the municipality of Tapalpa, which sits roughly 300 kilometres southeast of Puerto Vallarta.

Violence has also been reported in the states of Michoacán, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi. In all, at least 73 people were dead, according to a body count taken by security officials after the operation and the ensuing violence. That figure includes security forces, suspected cartel members and others, the AP reports.

On Tuesday, Global Affairs Canada was advising Canadians in Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara to head to airports only if they have a confirmed flight, “and it’s safe to do so.”

“The situation in Mexico is becoming more stable … though the volatility and instability differs throughout the country,” Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday morning.

“For that reason, we are advising Canadians who remain in Mexico at this time to follow the advice of local authorities.”

Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat and Porter have all said they were resuming scheduled flights on Tuesday, while Flair said it will resume service on Wednesday.

Flight rebooked for Sunday

Rigby said the staff at his hotel have been really helpful. Tourism is an important part of the region’s economy.

“The Mexican people are phenomenal,” he said, adding that after talking to a lot of them, “they’re kind of embarrassed about what’s going on.”

“The hotel staff were very limited. The morning staff happened to be here the day that it happened, they couldn’t leave and they couldn’t bring in extra staff. They stayed, they worked, they were amazing.”

After hours of trying to make contact, Rigby eventually learned from the airline he and his partner were booked on that the flight had been cancelled and they have been rebooked for Sunday.

Rigby said they have been trying to get on an earlier flight but airlines were asking “$2,000-plus US per person to get back.”

He’s expressed gratitude to everyone who’s been worried about his safety.

“We wandered around the streets yesterday. There are a lot of burnt buildings, cars and buses,” he said. “But the police and army are everywhere, so we are feeling, today, very secure, and we’re just bunkering down so we can all get home.”