The United States issues new travel warning for Peru
This week, the U.S. State Department issued an updated travel advisory for Peru. The travel warning reiterated its Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution advisory, focusing on providing updated information regarding crime in the country.
The Colombian-Peruvian border region in Loreto and the Puno Region, which includes the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca, and the Apurimac Region, are advised against by the State Department owing to crime and unrest, respectively.
Additionally, due to crime and terrorism, the warning advises visitors to stay away from the Valley of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers (VRAEM), which includes regions in the Departments of Ayacucho, Cusco, Huancavelica, and Junin.
Crime is a prevalent issue in Peru that encompasses a range of offenses, points out Travel Market Report, from minor theft to severe incidents such as “carjackings, muggings, and assaults.” Even with numerous witnesses, these violent crimes can occur during daylight hours. Although rare, kidnapping incidents do occur. According to the updated travel advisory, the crime risk escalates during nighttime. The State Department does, however, only warn passengers to proceed with greater caution; it doesn’t advise against traveling to Peru.
Various foreign locations that are popular travel destinations for Americans fall within the Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution or Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions category of the State Department. This covers the Bahamas (Level 2), France (Level 2), Italy (Level 2), Germany (Level 2), Spain (Level 2), Japan (Level 1), and Turks & Caicos (Level 2). Level 3 nations include Egypt, Hong Kong, China, Colombia, and Jamaica.
Detour previously reported on the travel warning for Jamaica, which was issued a Level 3: Reconsider Travel caution in May due to rising crime rates.
“Violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides, are common. Sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts,” the new Level 3: Reconsider Travel advisory now warns.
The State Department updated its warning for several reasons, according to the advisory, including the fact that local police “often do not respond effectively to serious criminal incidents” and that “emergency services and hospital care vary throughout the island, and response times and quality of care may vary from U.S. standards.”
Evie Blanco is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Queens, New York. She is extremely well-versed in hip-hop music and culture and is always aware of its developments. Whether it’s the latest in pop culture, a fascinating foreign destination, a truly amazing new restaurant, or breaking news, she loves to write about it all. Evie can be reached at evieblanco@detourxp.com.