3 Filipinos stranded in Peru after closure of airports 

THREE Filipinos have been stranded in Peru following widespread protests against the recent ouster of former President José Pedro Castillo Terrones, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).  

Philippine Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ma. Teresita C. Daza said they have already been in contact with all three, two of whom are tourists and one a ship captain.  

“The 24-year-old backpacker is already in Lima,” she said in a WhatsApp message to reporters, citing a report from the Philippine Embassy in Santiago, Chile. 

“He sounded well and in good condition,” she said in an earlier statement. “He said he plans to continue with his travel in the region as soon as flights to Lima resume.” 

An overseas Filipino tourist from Dubai, who was traveling with a group that got stranded in Peru’s Inca Trail, is awaiting a flight from Cusco to Lima. 

The captain who was stranded in Arequipa and whom the Embassy got in contact with on 17 December is already scheduled for a flight Dec. 21, Ms. Daza said.  

There are about 160 overseas Filipinos working and living in Peru, according to the DFA.  

Mr. Castillo was dismissed and arrested early December after he announced a plan to dissolve the country’s Congress that sought to impeach him. Soon after his arrest, protesters began blocking roads, setting buildings on fire, and storming in airports. At least 20 people died in the mayhem.   

Peru has declared a nationwide state of emergency while the former president remains in prison. Another eight have since died and 200 injured as protests continued. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan