While scrolling through social media one can probably come to the conclusion that Puerto Vallarta is in flames. From burning buses to masked men, nothing about Mexico seems safe right now, but this is far from the truth. Yes, there is some military presence but they are there to protect tourists. Although there are bad things happening, many of videos are AI generated and being blown out of proportion.
Painting the city and nearby states to be a battlefield is not only damaging vacations but also the city’s economy, especially cities like Puerto Vallarta which rely on tourist dollars. After ‘El Mencho’ was killed and the cartel responded with violence, which you can learn more about here, about 88% of local businesses reported direct impacts.
On Sunday, February 22nd, some businesses were directly attacked by the cartel in “arson attacks,” this led other businesses from gas stations to yoga studios to shut down. This led to a city wide lockdown. The following day, businesses remained closed. Then finally, on Tuesday, businesses gradually began reopening. 2 days without business may seem small but it makes a huge difference, this halts revenue for the month and hurts small businesses a lot.
When it comes to travel, a shutdown is scary and can cause panic. The Puerto Vallarta airport never officially closed, but due to roadblocks, hundreds of flights were cancelled between the 22nd and 24th.
Stacey Jurek, who is from MN and was a former SHS teacher, was on vacation in Puerto Vallarta during the violence and chaos. I asked her about how the community is being affected and how she has seen it first hand, she responded explaining how the community is struggling. Lots of people are cancelling their trips and her resort which was supposed to be full the following week, will only be 20% full after lots of spring breakers canceled. I also asked about how reality compares to what is being seen through the media.
Jurek says, “The biggest take away from my trip is DON’T believe what social media says all the time. We felt safe. We walked into a town called Buciarias on Wednesday and felt safe. We went on a sunset cruise on Thursday night and it was business as usual.Yes, there was cartel-related violence following the death of Nemesio “El Mencho” but they did not hurt tourists.”
Jurek also explained how the cartel vs government situation has been an ongoing battle for years and the death of high profile leaders causes instability which leads to violence, cartel vs government NOT cartel vs tourists.
Jurek also made a statement on how the AI and altered media being shared is just as scary to see: “But what followed was something just as dangerous: a flood of recycled videos, fake photos, edited audios, and posts taken out of context. Content designed to shock, to spread fast, to spark fear.”
Many AI photos and videos were spread. A famous church, Our Lady Guadalupe, was shown on fire with many surrounding buildings burning. These are not real photos and with so many people clicking share without fact checking, a horrible picture is being painted for Puerto Vallarta.
Senior, Kaylee Meester, shares why her family cancelled their upcoming trip there: “After seeing photos and videos of the city being burned, bombed, and crumbling I think it’s safe to say this is not where I want to be over spring break.”
Sadly, this is far from the truth and the city is safe for tourists. AI generated media and the spread of misinformation is harming communities in Mexico. So, next time before you share a post or view a post with lots of emotion, take an extra second to find do your own research and then make your decision.
