Trudeau and family vacation in Jamaica amid gang-related state of emergency
A soldier stands guard at a checkpoint in the August Town community of Kingston, Jamaica, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Collin Reid)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is currently vacationing in Jamaica amid a state of emergency in the Caribbean nation, which was issued earlier this month due to a surge in gang violence.
The Dec. 6 state of emergency, which was reinstated on Dec. 28, applies to the capital Kingston, as well as seven of Jamaica's 14 parishes, including popular tourist destinations like Montego Bay.
Trudeau is scheduled to be on a weeklong vacation in Jamaica with his immediate family beginning Dec. 26. Their exact location has not been disclosed.
In effect until Jan. 11, the state of emergency allows authorities to conduct arrests and search buildings without warrants. An island of 2.8 million people, Jamaica has reported over 1,400 killings this year, outpacing the 1,375 recorded in 2021. Most are blamed on gang-related activity.
The Government of Canada is urging Canadians to "exercise a high degree of caution" while in Jamaica.
"If you are travelling in the affected areas, you may be subject to searches by security forces," the government warned in a Dec. 28 update to its travel website. "Always co-operate with military and police officers."
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and Global Affairs Canada did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A government source told CTVNews.ca they are monitoring the situation in Jamaica. They added that there was no state of emergency in effect when Trudeau travelled to the island nation after Christmas.
Earlier this month, the PMO said that Trudeau will remain in constant contact with Ottawa during the trip, which was cleared with the federal ethics commissioner.
Trudeau was previously found to be in violation of conflict-of-interest rules following a 2016 vacation to the Aga Khan's private island in the Bahamas.
For security reasons, the prime minister must fly aboard Royal Canadian Air Force planes.
The flights for his family's 2019 Christmas holiday trip to Costa Rica cost the government about $57,000, plus thousands more for the crew's stay.
With files from the Associated Press and The Canadian Press
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