According to a Garda World report, the government in Peru declared a 30-day state of emergency on July 20 in parts Puno and Cusco “due to violence amid [an] ongoing teacher strike.”
And on Friday, July 21, Mincetur, Peru’s ministry of foreign trade and tourism, released a statement to travel media regarding the country’s decision to declare a State of Emergency.
According to that statement, "The declaration has been stated as a preventive measure to ensure public order and prevent acts of violence that may affect the physical integrity of individuals - domestic and foreign - and public and private property.”
And this past Thursday, Mincetur issued another statement in regards to the country’s tourist activities during the State of Emergency.
“All the regions of the country have been developing their tourist activities regularly and the air connectivity has been working without problems,” according to the statement.
Mincetur also added that there were no disruptions to its recent national holiday celebration.
“Peruvians and foreign visitors enjoyed the tourist activities without complications during the last national holiday's long weekend from July 27 to 30,” according to Mincetur.
How the State of Emergency Started
The whole situation began to unravel when, according to media outlets, protesters in Peru blocked the train line to the famed Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, stranding thousands of tourists.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the customer service desk for the British-owned PeruRail company said service was being suspended Wednesday, July 12 and Thursday, July 13 because of the protest by local residents demanding that the government reverse its cancellation of a planned new airport. According to the report, that protest merged with a strike by some 20,000 teachers demanding pay raises.
Visit www.peru.travel and keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for all your latest travel news. Be sure to follow Travel Agent’s Joe Pike on Twitter @TravelPike and Instagram @pike5260.
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