As Peru declares a state of emergency, travelers have been stranded across the country. The protests that have swept the popular South American travel destination have prompted governments around the world to issue travel warnings and advise tourists to reconsider their trips.
Is it time to cancel your trip to Peru? Here is a look at what to expect for travel around the region.
What’s Going On in Peru?
While facing multiple corruption allegations, former president Pedro Castillo announced his plans to suspend Congress. Protests erupted across the country as he tried to skirt prosecution by declaring that he had “emergency powers.”
In early December, Castillo was impeached and booted from office. While trying to obtain asylum in the Mexican embassy, the disgraced president’s own security service detained him. While Castillo sits in a prison outside of Lima, vice president Dina Boluarte has been sworn in as the interim president.
From small villages of the Andes to Lima, pro-Castillo demonstrators have caused upheaval across the country.
How Protests Are Affecting Peru Airports
With protests throwing Peru into chaos, travellers have been caught in the middle of political tension. Protestors have been blocking the roads leading to the airports around the country leading to major disruptions.
Five Peruvian airports have officially stopped operations due to political instability and uncertainty on the ground. Currently, the affected airports are:
- Andahuaylas (ANS)
- Arequipa (AQP)
- Juliaca (JUL)
- Cuzco (CUZ)
- Ayacucho (AYP)
At these airports, the extensive damage to their air traffic control offices and runways caused by protests has left the future of operations in question.
Meanwhile, the central air travel hub, Lima International Airport (LIM), is remaining open for the time being while Avianca, LATAM, and Sky Airline are still working to accommodate existing bookings.
Tourists Stranded in Machu Picchu
As the protests escalated, trains in and out of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Machu Picchu were halted. Currently, more than 300 tourists from around the world are spending the weekend stranded in the ancient city.
What’s Next for Peru
With the state of emergency in effect, a nightly curfew has been issued and Peruvians are restricted from gathering. With the new rules in effect until mid-January, the regulations are going to impact the millions of locals who would typically travel during the holiday season.
