Peru: Gunman Rob Tourists Near Manu National Park

No Comments | August 20th, 2009 | Trackback

Masked gunmen robbed a group of 12 foreign tourists on their way to Manu National Park in the Tres Cruces area of the Cuzco region Aug. 16. The bandits bashed the driver with their weapons and threatened the tourists, taping their hands and stealing cash, valuables and electronic equipment before leaving them unharmed. The Manu reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Peru’s largest national park. In other news, angry residents of Pisco shut down part of the Pan American Highway Aug. 15 to protest the government’s lack of action two years after the region suffered a devastating earthquake. Only about 25 percent of the reconstruction the government promised has been completed and 40,000 people are still living in tents or prefabricated shacks.