Canadians angry over Mexican detention

OTTAWA, March 19 (UPI) -- Anger is mounting among Canadians over the detention of a Canadian woman in a Mexican prison for two years, a poll in the Toronto Star showed.

Brenda Martin, 51, worked as a chef for a man who was convicted of running a massive Internet investment fraud scheme and who is now in a U.S. jail. Martin has been in a Guadalajara prison since February 2006 and denies any involvement in the fraud.

She has made repeated calls for the Canadian government's help in getting out. On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper reportedly spoke with Mexican President Felipe Calderon about the case, reports said.

Wednesday, two Conservative members of the Canadian Parliament were in Guadalajara to meet with the woman, CTV News said.

An Angus Reid survey of 1,045 Canadian adults Monday and Tuesday indicated 71 percent said the prime minister should be personally involved in getting Martin released on humanitarian grounds, the Star said.

Other anger factors seen in the poll include 61 percent saying they want an official travel warning from Ottawa urging Canadians to avoid Mexico. The poll also found 50 percent saying they would boycott Mexico for their holidays and 44 percent said they would stop buying Mexican products sold in Canada.