Local woman experiences unrest in Puerto Vallarta

An image taken by fellow retreat attendees shows how cars were lit on fire causing thick black smoke to rise throughout Puerto Vallarta.

Leah Bauer

Advocate Contributor

For decades Puerto Vallarta has been at the top of the list for tourist hot-spots in Mexico. It is a common destination for Canadians to visit to get a break from the winter, relax, and experience a bit of Mexico.

However, on the morning of Sunday, Feb. 22nd this tourist hot-spot became a target for cartel violence. 

The violence and the fires came as a response to the killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho. El Mencho was the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). In a shootout between cartel members and Mexican authorities, El Mencho was wounded and died while being airlifted to a medical facility. In the aftermath of his death, cartel members blocked highways, torched cars and city buses, which led to airlines cancelling flights to Puerto Vallarta.

One of our very own Norfolk County residents found herself in the midst of it all. Amy Rose La Prairie, a local yoga instructor, had travelled to Puerto Vallarta alone to attend a wellness retreat. She jetted off to relax and meet some like-minded travellers. 

She woke up on Feb. 22nd, the date of her expected flight home, and sat outside on her balcony for one last morning tea with a fellow retreat attendee. While looking out over the blue waters she began to notice smoke stacks emerging through the ‘Romantic Zone’ of Puerto Vallarta. 

“We started noticing, like smoke stacks across the bay. Initially there was one stack of thick black smoke,” Amy recalled. “We thought ‘oh that's weird.’ And then we saw another one, we're like, ‘what's going on?’”

She quickly packed her things and went to the front desk where workers in the building alerted her of the situation that was unfolding around them. Amy recalled them saying to her, “we don't recommend you leave. We suggest that you should stay on the property, this has never happened here, but we're getting reports that we should just shelter in place.”

Her immediate concern was her flight home that she was supposed to catch that afternoon.

Luckily, La Prairie was staying in an Air B&B, which was oddly enough run by a fellow Canadian from Manitoba. The host called her and suggested that for her own safety she stayed put at the Air B&B free of charge for a few extra days. 

La Prairie described the situation at the nearby resorts as a bit “dystopic” wherein she was able to hear gunshots, and look at the news and understand that death and destruction was happening right in her area, but business continued as usual. Noting the juxtaposition between what was happening outside and how the pop music and entertainment continued like nothing was happening. 

She was very impressed by the strength of the Mexican people.

“The Mexican people are incredibly resilient and hardworking!” she said. “They wanted to see Puerto Vallarta back up and running.”

Across Mexico, schools, workplaces, and businesses shut down to allow people to shelter in place. Puerto Vallarta was no different. La Prairie recounts how grocery stores shut down, and as they reopened she described the scene as “like Covid, everyone was lined up outside of the stores and certain items were completely sold out.”

Luckily, La Prairie made it home safely, a little off schedule, but safe nonetheless. Her safe arrival home was celebrated by everyone, especially her beloved dog Koa. She is now getting back to business as usual which means that her Yoga at the Vittoria Community Centre (35 Oakes Blvd, Vittoria) is back on every Monday night at 7 p.m. The Yoga is a slow-flow class, attendees can drop in and payment is pay what you can!