Mexico Safe for Tourists
Mexico safe for tourists: diplomat
By Jamie Komarnicki, Calgary HeraldMarch 3, 2009 10:02 AMComments (1)
Two surfers at Sayulita, a beach community that is becoming known
as a surfer's paradise.Photograph by: Lindsey Norris/Edmonton
Journal, Edmonton JournalDespite Foreign Affairs urging caution for
Canadians travelling to Mexico, the country's consul says his country
is a safe destination--but visitors should stay alert.
Speaking at Mount Royal College after a tour of the facility Monday,
Francisco Lopez Mena also said education officials are hoping to ramp
up Mexico's long-standing exchange program with the post-secondary
facility.
Students who travel to the country looking for a "spring break" style
party shouldn't let their guard down, he noted.
Students often "feel too free to party. Because of that, they have to
take care of themselves," said Mena, who was posted to Calgary last
year. "Mexico is a very safe place."
College president Dave Marshall said the school's exchange program
with Mexico remains popular.
About 20 Mexicans came to the college last year to study; in the same
period, three Calgary students travelled to Mexico.
Students who take advantage of overseas learning opportunities must
be aware of risks involved, Marshall said.
Five years ago, Mount Royal College student Kristen Deyell was shot
to death outside a Guadalajara nightclub-- a tragic case of"wrong
place, wrong time," Marshall said.
"That's the sort of thing that can happen when you're in any society,
whether it's Calgary or Guadalajara, where there's guns and shootings
going on," he said.
Indeed, last September, Brazilian exchange student Jose Neto was
blinded by a stray bullet while walking with his girlfriend in
downtown Calgary.
On Friday, Canada's Foreign Affairs Ministry advised people
travelling to Mexico to be cautious because of violence throughout
the country, particularly escalating fights between the military and
drug cartels.
According to Marshall, the rewards of international experience for
students are"absolutely huge."Weighing the risks against the benefits
can be challenging, though, he said.
"We caution students to try and not be in the wrong place," he
said. "The best we can do is make the opportunity available for
students . . . and say if you go, you need to understand the risks."
On Monday, Mena and consulate economic director Miguel Cortines paid
a visit to Mount Royal to learn more about the college's projects
with their country.
"It has been a very good relationship," Mena said
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