Two Israeli companies rescued about 40 Israeli tourists who were stranded in the Peruvian town of Aguas Calientes, located near the ancient Incan site of Machu Picchu, in the wake of violent riots that have swept the county since the ouster of President Pedro Castillo last week.

In the first stage of the rescue operation, carried out by the PassportCard travel insurance company and the Magnus search and rescue company, the Israelis left Aguas Calientes by foot and walked ten kilometers in the rain to the Hidroeléctrica ​​area, accompanied by local Magnus rescuers, where they boarded buses for the six-hour drive to the city of Cusco.

The airport in Cusco is currently closed and there are about 5,000 tourists stranded in the city, including hundreds of additional Israelis – all waiting for flights to restart.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed to Ynet on Sunday that all Israelis who were stranded in remote areas of Peru are now safe.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)