Peru: Indigenous community members detain ferry with dozens of tourists in Loreto Province as of Nov. 4

Event

Indigenous community members in Loreto Province have detained a ferry traveling down the Cuninico River and are holding hostage dozens of tourists as of Nov. 4. The incident took place in the Cuninico municipality, located in Urarinas district. Reports indicate that local community members have kidnapped the tourists to get attention from local authorities, as they reportedly failed to address oil spills in the region that led to the contamination of the river. It is estimated that there are 70-150 tourists being held hostage as of Nov. 4; reports indicate that there are US, UK, French, Swiss, and Spanish nationals among them.

Advice

Remain courteous and cooperative if approached and questioned by security personnel. If operating in the area in the long term, ensure the use of secure transport. Companies should regularly review their security assessments and incident planning. Maintain contact with diplomatic representations.