U.S State Department Issues Travel Advisory Update For This Popular South American Destination

Last Updated 2 months ago

The U.S. State Department regularly issues travel advisories to American travelers to help them make informed choices about where to go on their next vacation and has just issued an update for a very popular South American destination.

Every country in the world is assigned a level between 1-4. Level 1 means exercise normal precautions, level 2 means exercise increased caution, and level 3 means reconsider travel.

U.S State Department Issues Travel Advisory Update For This Popular South American Destination

The highest level is level 4, which is a do not travel warning.

These can change at any moment.

Here’s why the U.S State Department has updated its travel guidance for Peru:

Increased Crime In Peru

Peru has still been given a level 2: Exercise increased caution warning. However, the travel advisory has been updated with new warnings about crime in the country.

Travelers to Peru are warned to exercise increased caution due to crime, civil unrest, and the possibility of kidnapping.

lagoon in the snowy Huaytapallana, Huancayo Peru

There are also areas of Peru that American citizens are told not to travel to at all. These have been given a Level 4 – Do not travel warning and are:

The Colombian-Peruvian border area in the Loreto Region due to crime.
The Valley of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers (VRAEM) including areas within the departments of Ayacucho, Cusco, Huancavelica, and Junin. This is because of the risk of crime and terrorism.

One of the main reasons that Peru has been issued a level 2 warning is because of the crime in the country.

Crimes like petty theft, carjackings, muggings, assault, and other violent crime is common in the country. This can happen even in daylight hours or when witnesses are present.

The risk of crime increases at night. And although kidnappings are rare in Peru they can happen.

Lima Peru. Plaza de Armas (Plaza Mayor) in the historic centre (Centro Historico)

Travelers should also be aware that the political situation in Peru can lead to instability. When demonstrations take place these can lead to the shutdown of roads, trains, and major highways.

This can happen without warning so you should have a plan in place about what you will do if a demonstration breaks out while you’re in the country.

If you work for the U.S. government then you should also know that U.S. government personnel can’t travel freely through Peru right now for security reasons.

Why Visit Peru?

Travel Advisories are great for ensuring travelers stay safe and raising awareness of problems you might face. But they shouldn’t put you off visiting one of your bucket list destinations.

Destinations with a level 2 travel advisory are still considered safe to visit.

Machu Picchu, a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the New Seven Wonders of the World

Peru is a beautiful country with incredible landscapes. It is a unique and colorful destination that attracts visitors from around the world.

Machu Picchu is Peru’s most famous landmark, and taking the Inca trail to this incredible landmark is a once-in-lifetime experience. But Peru has so much more to offer.

You can hike to the Gocta Falls, which is one of the world’s tallest free-falling waterfalls, or explore the abandoned mountaintop city of Kuelap.

Foodies won’t be disappointed with Peruvian food, which takes influences from its large migrant Chinese and Japanese communities. Native dishes are rich and hearty yet delicate and flavorsome.

And of course no matter where you are in Peru you should take the chance to meet its most famous residents: The llamas and alpacas that call the country home.

Staying Safe In Peru

For travelers who decide to go ahead and visit Peru the U.S. State Department has some advice to help you stay safe on your vacation.

Aerial View Of The Cusco Cathedral In UNESCO Listed Cusco, Peru, South America

U.S. citizens are advised to be aware of their surroundings and monitor local media for breaking events. If something happens on a wider political scale in the country, then you should adjust your plans accordingly.

Travelers should also follow the Department of State and U.S. Embassy on social media so that if the situation in the country changes, you’ll find out as soon as possible.

You are strongly advised not to visit the Level 4: Do Not Travel areas of the country.

2 Peruvian women in traditional colorful attire standing with a llama

Because U.S. government personnel are banned from traveling within 20km of the border with Colombia in the Loreto region, they will be extremely limited in the support they can provide you if you have an emergency in this area.

The same is true of the VRAEM. Terrorist groups are known to be active here, and U.S. government personnel have extremely restricted access to the area.

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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com

Bill A

Sunday 19th of November 2023

I visited Peru a few years ago and took the bus from Lima to Cusco. About an hour out of Cusco the bus suddenly pulled over in the middle of nowhere and there we sat for the next 17 hours. It seems the local indigenous people were very angry over a water rights and irrigation issue. They decided to protest by rolling huge boulders and trees down the steep hillsides along the 2 lane highway into Cusco. Every time one blockage was cleared they'd already be starting another one .25 mile ahead. It was incredibly frustrating. There were many children on the bus and food had ran out. We finally rolled into Cusco at 3AM. We were supposed to arrive at 10AM the previous morning.

Johnny

Lol....under those guidelines they out to issue travel advisories for LA, Chicago and NY...

Lily

Monday 20th of November 2023

@Johnny,

Martha

@Johnny, you are right!!! I was wonder who make the killings in the cities in USA with assault weapons….socialists or good american patriots? 🤔

Mark

Saturday 18th of November 2023

I am traveling in Peru now. Venezuelan gangs are doing most of this with the Peru criminal element. They stole everything they could in Venezuela so moved to greener pastures. Socialism exports criminality. Could it happen to US states?

@Dionicio Derteano,

Dionicio Derteano

@Mark, I'm from Peru, I have a firm belief that the fight against the international gangs should be manage by the military forces in conjunction with department of intelligence and civilian police, and treat this elements as terrorist, execute a marshal law, and recover the order, other wise people will fall into a terror state of Kaos like in 1980's do you remember? It's time for growth and prosperity, we open arms to all people to leave freely in Peru and scape from the adversity of their country, Let's get back to law and order time, no more soft hand . Viva el Peru

Omaroama

@Mark, ignorance is dangerous. If socialism exports criminality then Finland and Sweden better be careful. How many mass shooting per week are you hearing about in your travels? I think the USA did our best to make the government of Venezuela unstable. Oil was the culprit just as it was in the Middle East. We achieved our goal. Don’t blame socialism for the destruction that greed and power lust leaves. Can it happen in the USA? Go visit any city in any state. Carjackings, muggings, shootings, road rage deaths are a normal event here at home. When the people live in poverty and the rich are above the law, societies become unstable. The choices then become equalizing the wealth or becoming a dictatorship. Yes, it can happen in the USA. Big money is betting on it.

Rod

@Mark, you are misguided in your analysis. Socialism is just an idea . The problem is poverty.

Aaron

@Mark, you are on the mark! I try to explain this everyone in the states and they have no clue what's going on but America is freely inviting the Venezuelans as "refugees "and they're the most common trespassers found at the southern border! They have increased crime and homelessness and debt on colombia and other neighboring progressive(democratic-socialist light) countries. My colombian wife who lives there tells me stories all the time about how they are lying cheating and dangerous people you can't trust them. They are bringing their bs ideology where they go and freeload and vote in corruption. Sounds very very similar to what is happening in America right now with far left marxists. That's basically what a lot of these Latin countries are turning into of they don't become more conservative and kick these freeloading criminals out of their countries and push them back to Venezuela. They made their beef and they should sleep in it.

Other than that, i love columbia, and I can't wait to go to perú with my wife for her very first international trip and our very first international adventure together. It doesn't count if it's only international for me lol.

Jose

This whole article uses outdated information, the roadblock happened MONTHS ago and it was an isolated incident. The only roads that were blocked were those used to travel outside of Lima to other provinces, trains and major highways inside Lima were NEVER blocked. Kidnappings in Peru are extremely rare and they only ever happen to business owners in the worst areas of Lima who fail to pay money to the gangs there. Kidnappings of regular tourists DONT happen, stop with the unnecessary fear mongering.

@Jose,