LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Members of Las Vegas’s Latino community are adjusting travel plans and daily routines following a period of unrest in parts of Mexico, according to FOX5 and Vegas Hoy reporter Karla Salinas, who has been covering the story and speaking with community members.
The unrest followed the killing of a Mexican cartel leader by Mexican forces in a joint operation with the United States. In the days after, cartel-linked groups carried out arson attacks and street blockings in parts of Mexico, prompting school and business closures and fuel shortages in some areas on Sunday and Monday.
MORE: Las Vegas Latino families watch Mexico violence closely, say ties remain strong
Impact on the Las Vegas Latino community
Salinas said the disruption has had a direct effect on U.S.-based Latinos with family and personal ties to Mexico.
“Even for U.S. citizens, even for permanent residents, people who have lived their entire lives in the United States, we still have pretty deep-rooted ties to Mexico,” Salinas said.
She said community members have described a range of disruptions, including a funeral that had to be rescheduled and canceled medical appointments. Many in the community also rely on Mexico for healthcare, including doctor and dental visits, and for purchasing contacts and other medical supplies.
“It’s not that our vacations are necessarily canceled, they say. But now it’s like, well, we have to figure out a different time to go because we have to still keep going to Mexico,” Salinas said.
Situation described as stabilizing
A consul at the Mexican Consulate in Las Vegas told Salinas that conditions have largely stabilized and that residents should not stop living their lives because of the incident.
Salinas said contacts in affected areas reported that by Tuesday, businesses and roads had reopened.
“On Tuesday, it’s business as usual. Businesses have to reopen. The roads have to reopen. And life has to go on,” Salinas said.
Misinformation a concern
Salinas said a significant amount of misinformation circulated on social media over the weekend, including photos and videos that did not accurately represent events on the ground.
“There was a lot of misinformation that was put out over the weekend, a lot of statuses on Facebook — a lot of pictures that were posted, a lot of videos that were posted that just didn’t happen or weren’t portrayed in the right way,” Salinas said.
She said the Latino community is looking for factual, credible reporting to answer questions about safety and travel.
“People, their identity revolves around being able to visit family, being able to visit those relatives that they have in Mexico, being able to go to the doctor. And so it’s not something that they could just say, okay, well, now we won’t go to Mexico because this happened. It’s when can we go to Mexico? When is it safe to do so?” Salinas said.
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