TRAVEL TO PERU
Why You Don't Need To Worry About Current Politics in Peru
What you will be learning
In response to several inquiries we have received from people who are planning their trips to our ayahuasca retreats and have questions or concerns about the current political situation in Peru, this article explains what is happening, where it’s happening, why it’s happening, and why you can feel absolutely safe and assured of booking your retreat and enjoying a life-changing experience with us here in Iquitos.
Peru’s recent political activity has some people concerned about travel to the country, and we understand why: there are often news reports that make the situation sound desperate, dangerous, and even sensational. And while these news stories can make great headlines and attract larger audiences to their new channels, the truth of the situation is far less dramatic and far more normal than the alarmist media may be leading you to believe. From inside Peru, we’d like to give you some perspective on the current situation.
What’s Happening
Since December of 2022, protests have been taking place after the country’s former president was removed from office and the former vice-president took the position of president. Protesters who support the former president have gathered, sometimes in groups of many thousands, to express their dissatisfaction with the change in government leadership and demand that certain things happen in the government that they believe are fair.
Some of these protests have included incidents of violence. Without accusing any group in particular, the fact is that the protesters and security forces controlling the protests have fought with one another, with violence occurring as a result of behaviors from both sides of the fighting, just as so often happens when citizens protest and demonstrate against their government.
Where It’s Happening
The protests started mostly in less populated areas but spread to some of the cities in the country in the following weeks. Protests have been almost all concentrated in the South of the country, and largely in the more neglected countryside where municipal services are often poorly maintained and living standards are not as high compared to the more wealthy, populated urban areas of the country.
It is important to understand that the protestors are not unified or directed under any single political party or leader, which means that the protests do not pose a real threat of challenging or overthrowing the government or causing any type of major revolution in Peru.
Why It’s Happening
Briefly, the former president tried to take actions that would prevent him from being investigated for corruption and he did not find the amount of support that he needed to succeed in this, so he was thrown out of office and replaced by the former vice-president.
The former vice-president had previously said that she supported the president and would leave with him if he was removed from power, but instead she accepted the position of the president and some people considered that a betrayal.
Why You Don’t Need To Worry About Traveling To Peru
We’d like to cut through some of the noise that is published by news media and present a few facts regarding the current situation:
- There are still protests taking place against the new president but they are slowing down because the government has announced new elections this year. The new elections are a big step forward to giving the protesting groups what they want and this is greatly reducing the anger and will of the protestors.
- The north of the country, including our location in Iquitos, has not been affected at all by the protests. You will not find any disturbances whatsoever in your journey into Peru and continuing on to Iquitos. The city of Iquitos is the same quiet and peaceful place that it has always been. There is absolutely no change here as a result of the country’s current political dispute.
- We are constantly updated on the situation and are entirely conscious of our participants’ safety, so you can focus on your coming retreats and the importance of their soul journeys. You can leave the rest to us. You are in loving, caring hands here.
Some Important Perspective from People Who Know Peru - Please Understand
Without going too deep into the politics of Peru, it’s important to understand that the protests taking place are really a continuation of Peru’s political evolution going back many years. Peruvian citizens are overall well-informed and politically active, they have an interest in the direction of their government and their politicians, and they participate actively in protests and demonstrations. In fact, these protests are nothing new: like many other countries all over the world, Peruvians protest all the time.
The main difference lately is that these protests have been larger and more active than usual and as a result they have been met with more forceful resistance than usual. The important point to take away here is that along with ayahuasca retreats, hiking and trekking, water sports, surfing and much more have all been alive and well for many years in Peru, all while Peruvian citizens have protested, demonstrated, fought with police and dealt with political corruption for many years. Today is no exception. These issues are simply stronger and more widespread than they have been in recent years, which makes it more attractive for news media companies to magnify the issue, making it appear more serious and scary than it really is.
The reality is that, while tourism is always affected by events such as these, it is only out of fear that travelers are hesitant to come, because they are outsiders and do not understand whether their travel plans are risky or not. We can assure you that if you are planning a trip to Peru, you are not in danger. The political activity in the country is not affecting the coming and going of tourists. It is an internal dispute amongst Peruvian political parties and citizens.
In fact, from inside the country we can assure you that the people involved in this political activity do not want to affect the tourism economy here! The idea of threatening, injuring, or putting tourists at risk goes against the wishes of all powers involved in the current political dispute because it affects the Peruvian economy and, regardless of what side a person is on, they do not want the Peruvian economy to be negatively affected.
It is also important to keep in mind that Peru is a strong and resilient country with a strong financial foundation. Despite what many people outside of the country believe, it has a robust economy and an above-average standard of living. Protests and disputes such as what are taking place, have nowhere near enough strength to cause a major disruption in the basic functioning of Peruvian society.
Finally, it is important for you to remember one thing above all: we would never, ever recommend or assure that you travel here if there was a real possibility of danger to you! As mentioned above, we are constantly monitoring things, we hear news that does not make it outside of the country, and we have your absolute best interests in mind and at heart.
In Conclusion
If you would like to talk more about this or still have any doubt about your upcoming journey, we encourage you to contact us any time to clarify any concern you may have.