Darla Anderson Christianson, who is currently in Puerto Vallarta, says she and family members she has been visiting took shelter-in-place orders seriously on Sunday in the midst of widespread violence caused by an ongoing war between government authorities and the drug cartels. She says things returned to a bit of normalcy Monday, with more people in the streets again.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
After sheltering in place through events in Puerto Vallarta this weekend, Hatter Darla Anderson Christianson says she hopes the region’s tourism will eventually heal.
She explains she was visiting family that lives in the region, and arrived Feb. 19, a few days before Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes was killed on Sunday.
“[Sunday] morning, we first realized something wasn’t right when we were heading out on an ATV tour,” said Anderson Christianson. She says at roughly 8:30 a.m., they were stopped on their tour, citing a vehicle on fire further down the road.
While she had initially assumed there had been a crash causing the fire, she and her family quickly noticed there were “large plumes of smoke in multiple areas the city” as they returned to her daughter’s condo.
“We heard what sounded like explosions, and heard some what I assume was gun shots. So it became clear very quickly that, yeah, this wasn’t an isolated incident,” said Anderson Christianson. Being a former police officer, she says she quickly shifted into situational awareness mode as she returned to the condo to shelter in place.
Anderson Christianson learned of the situation from news outlets, social media and community contacts, who informed her of the violence and property damage the city was experiencing at the hands of cartel members.
“We learned that there are reports of co-ordinated vehicle fires and businesses being set ablaze in different parts of the city. I’ve seen lots of videos of the Oxxo, which is a grocery store, kind of like a 7-Eleven. I think there were 26 of them, if I’m not mistaken, that were burned to the ground,” said Anderson Christianson. “There were also social media posts that we saw people being pulled out of vehicles and then their vehicles were just set on fire by the cartels.”
She and her family heeded advice to shelter in place, despite concerns about their food supply. As of Monday, she says they were able to head outside for a brief period to secure some food, which was a relief despite climbing prices.
“What really struck me on Sunday though, was how eerily quiet everything felt. There were no sirens, no police cars, no ambulances, no visible emergency responses anywhere. Nobody was walking around. It was just eerily quiet,” said Anderson Christianson. “Just smoke in the distance and an unsettling stillness.”
The situation has largely stabilized, says Anderson Christianson, with more people visible on the streets cautiously getting what they need now that the most intensive action has settled.
As of writing, there have been reported 76 fatalities, though Anderson Christianson says she has mostly seen a focus on property damage.
Anderson Christianson says she intends to stay in the region even after the airport opens again until the end of her intended visit, and that while she suspects tourism will struggle in the aftermath of the weekend’s events, she hopes Puerto Vallarta will eventually see recovered levels of visitors.
“I just want to thank all my friends and family, who are, you know, they were very concerned about us here,” said Anderson Christianson. “Thank you for all your prayers, and we really appreciate it.”
