Tourists taken hostage in Peru freed by locals

More than 100 tourists have been released in Peru who were being held hostage by a local population. They were stuck there for more than a day. A Peruvian minister has now declared the group free again.

The tourists were on a boat on the Marañón River in the Amazon region. Residents of the village of Cuninico arrested the group to protest against an oil spill. They wanted to force the government to take action to control pollution.

The group of tourists, of which about thirty are from the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, France and Switzerland, would have compensated for the taking of hostages. They were given water and food.

Initially, the plan was to hold the tourists hostage for six to eight days if the oil leak was not solved. But after the steps of a mediator who defends populations in vulnerable situations, the tourists have now been released. The mediator wants the State to engage in discussions with the local population.

On Friday evening, a spokesperson for the Cuninico community has already confirmed that the group will be released. “Right and respect for life must prevail. That’s why we will provide people with the necessary means to get to their destination,” he told local radio.

According to the company behind the pipeline in the area, Petroperu, the damage was intentional. Fifty complaints have been registered since last December. The company promises to clean up pollution and provide residents with clean water and food.