Chicagoans with loved ones in Mexico concerned for their safety amid cartel violence
Streets and shops are reopening in parts of Mexico after a wave of violence over the weekend, sparked by the killing of a cartel leader.
Chicagoans, however, with loved ones in and around Puerto Vallarta, are still very concerned for their safety. These are loved ones who aren't in resorts like tourists, but who work and go to school in Mexico.
Violent clashes by suspected cartel members earlier this week have caused widespread safety concerns. Videos showed cars burning after they were set on fire and large plumes of smoke.
Tourists visiting from the Chicago area said that things for them have appeared to have calmed down since Sunday, following the initial reaction to the Mexican government's killing of a 'most-wanted' cartel boss, "El Mencho."
Those outside hotels have told their loved ones in Chicago they're still sheltering in place.
In rural areas, especially, some have said they're fearful that cartel members will turn to the places where they've owned farmland for generations, to places where the National Guard might not be as present.
Baltazar Enriquez of Chicago's Little Village Community Council is one of the people who have been checking in on loved ones since the unrest. He's been checking in on his brother and his cousin.
"It's very nerve-wracking because we don't know what's going to happen," he said. "We're hoping that the Mexican government gets control of the situation so people can continue with their lives, and us over here in the United States can feel also safe because you know this is not something that just started, this has been happening for years."
His brother, who lives in Morelia, Michoacan, told him he's sheltering in place.
"'I'm staying in for my safety,' he says, 'we don't know what's going to happen.' But uh, in the rural areas is where the major things are happening," Enruque said.
He said that they're worried about instability in the region, especially in those rural areas, where his cousin lives and manages his own farm.
"He's also praying that they don't get to his huertas because he'll lose out on a lot of money, and all his life work is there, and his grandfather started, his father, now him. He's third generation; all of that will come down within minutes."
When asked if he believed prolonged unrest in the area would mean an influx of new immigrants to the U.S., he said families will hit a brick wall.
"We're hitting a brick wall," he said. "These families will hit a brick wall asking for asylum, asking for protection from the United States. They may not be let in, and they may not be able to apply for asylum even though Mexico is on fire and all we have is a bucket of water."
As of now, there is no official travel ban from Mexico to the U.S. Travelers from the Chicago area said that things are looking more like normal as their flights are scheduled to leave on time later in the week.
