Government warns Canadians to avoid 'non-essential' travel to regions in Peru

Apr 25 2018, 1:02 am

The Government of Canada is reminding travellers to exercise a “high degree of caution” in Peru after a Canadian man was killed in the Peruvian Amazon.

Sebastian Paul Woodroffe, 41, of Vancouver Island was lynched by a mob in the Ucayali region of Peru last week. According to Peruvian authorities, two people have been arrested in connection with Woodroffe’s death.

According to reports, Woodroffe was killed in retaliation for his alleged involvement in the death of Olivia Arvelo Lomas, a popular Indigenous shaman and civil rights activist.

Locals blamed Woodroffe — who was also believed to be one of  Lomas’ clients — for her death. However, Peruvian police have not released any details regarding suspects connected to the Lomos case.

Woodroffe’s murder was filmed and posted on social media. According to Woodroffe’s personal fundraising page, he travelled to Peru to work with local healers who used the hallucinogenic drug ayahuasca in their spiritual ceremonies.

The Government of Canada is reminding travellers to avoid all non-essential travel to the following areas in Peru due to terrorist and criminal activity:

  • The districts of Kimbiri, Pichari and Vilcabamba in La Convención province in the department of Cuzco (the city of Cuzco and Machu Picchu are not affected)
  • Huallaga and Tocache provinces in the department of San Martín
  • The Upper Huallaga and Ene river valleys in the departments of Huánuco and San Martín
  • Padre Abad province in the department of Ucayali
  • Huacaybamba, Humalíes, Leoncio Prado and Marañón provinces in the department of Huánuco
  • Concepción and Satipo provinces in the department of Junín
  • Tayacaja province in the department of Huancavelica
  • The districts of Abancay, Andahuaylas and Chincheros in the department of Apurímac
  • Huanta and La Mar provinces, in the department of Ayacucho

“Domestic terrorism is largely restricted to the remote jungle areas of Peru where the Shining Path guerrilla group is present. This includes the region where the Apurímac, Ayacucho, Cusco and Junín departments meet, parts of Huancavelica and Ucayali departments, and the Upper Huallaga river valley in the Huánuco and San Martín departments,” said the Canadian Government, in a statement.

“Overland travel in these regions is unsafe.”

For more information on the travel warning, visit the Government of Canada’s travel advisory website.

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