In view of the political developments in Peru and the declaration of a state of emergency in the country for the coming month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this evening (Saturday) sharpened its recommendation to Israeli citizens staying in Peru to avoid gatherings as much as possible, from going to places where demonstrations are held and to be attentive to the media and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ announcements.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that in certain areas of the country, and especially in the province of Cusco and in the area of Machu Picchu, there are roadblocks that limit traffic in the area, as well as entry and exit from it, since the railway system and some airports are not functioning. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also advises Israeli citizens who are planning to come to Peru to exercise caution and keep up to date with the situation on the ground.
Yael Hadad and Amit Strykov, who were evacuated today from the town of “Aguas Clientes” near Machu Picchu, said that they are waiting to be evacuated in vehicles. “The mood is good, we keep smiling and enjoy every moment,” Strykov said.
The state of emergency in Peru Amit Strykov and Yael Hadad, who were evacuated from the town of Aguas Calientes: “Waiting for evacuation in vehicles. The mood is good, they keep a smile and enjoy every moment” | For the full story >>> https://t.co/8pXl6syv6p@CBeyar (Photo: PassportCard and Magnus Search and Rescue) pic.twitter.com/zeUyHJSeKn
— here news (@kann_news) December 17, 2022
Earlier today, the rescue companies “Passportcard” and “Magnus” announced that they have been working in recent days to rescue Israeli travelers who are in Peru, following the riots in the country. “Passportcard” wrote in a post on Facebook that they built several rescue plans according to the situation on the ground. In addition, it is written that they will be carried out “according to the assessment of the risks and the intelligence that emerges from the field”. As of Thursday, more than 20 people have been killed so far in the protests.
The chaos in Peru began a week and a half ago, when President Pedro Coustius decided to dissolve the parliament. Immediately after the vote on the issue, he was arrested on charges of carrying out a coup and on Thursday his detention was extended by 18 months. Since Castillo’s arrest, mass demonstrations by his supporters and opponents have begun in various locations in the South American country. The riots also broke out in tourist areas, and this makes it difficult to move around Peru.
Castillo’s attempt to dissolve parliament came just before his friends gathered to vote for his impeachment, following the fact that he had taken advantage of his position and received favors for himself and his family. To prevent his impeachment, he announced the dissolution of the parliament and the establishment of a government that would rule by decree. In fact – a coup for everything.
Ministers resigned one after another, the police refused to cooperate, the parliament refused to dissolve – and the vice president called the event a ‘coup’. Coup Detat. In the end, the parliament decided to impeach the president by a large majority – and appointed the vice president as president Dina Bularte – the first president of Peru.
Yesterday a state of emergency was declared in Peru, in which special powers were granted to the police and military forces went out to back them up – and the situation in the country continues to deteriorate. Among other things, there were reports of protesters blocking roads, dismantling the railways of the train network and breaking into airports – and demanding the closing of Congress, the resignation of Bullart and the early elections.
Since Thursday, between hundreds of thousands of tourists have been besieged in the historic town of Machu Picchu, and in Cusco tourists are stranded after protesters forced the authorities to shut down the local airport. Tonight, a special meeting was held in which all the heads of the government branches were present, including the heads of the church, at the end of which the government spokesman called on the Faroese public to behave calmly and stop the violent expressions against the authorities. Bulart has not released a message on her behalf for several days.