South Floridians are stranded in Peru amid civil unrest. This is one of their stories
When Miami Dade Fire Rescue Capt. Brian Vega organized a solo trip to see Machu Picchu in Peru earlier this month, he never imagined he would end up stranded at a wonder of the world.
Vega, born and raised in Miami, traveled to Argentina and Chile with his parents to visit family. But before coming home to his wife and young kids in South Florida, he decided to embark on a last-minute trip to the 15th century Incan citadel.
“It’s one of those bucket list items for a lot of people,” said.
Afterward, the self-described “adventurer” planned to spend time in the ancient city nestled in the Andes mountains and explore the neighboring Sacred Valley. Maybe he’d hike Vinicunca, the “rainbow” mountain famous for its layered, multicolor terrain. Or perhaps he’d spend a day in Lago Humantay, a turquoise pool of water nearly 14,000 feet above sea level.
But he never made it back to the capital of the Incan Empire.
“Everything went crazy ... when I was supposed to take the train out,” he said
Vega is one of at least two South Floridians stranded in Peru as the country faces political instability and violent protests following the ousting of its former president earlier this month.
Peru has been in the midst of a political crisis since Dec 7. When President Pedro Castillo attempted to dissolve parliament, the assembly instead impeached him and ousted him from his office. Violent protests have erupted in the country and at least 18 have died as a result, the head of the country’s health department told Peruvian newspaper El Comercio on Friday.
Vega described the situation in Aguas Calientes, the town that serves as a base camp for the world wonder of Machu Picchu, as “relatively peaceful.”
The U.S. Embassy in Peru announced in a statement on Friday that the Peruvian government was organizing evacuations for foreigners from Aguas Calientes. Train service in and out, the principal mode of transportation because of the mountainous and rugged geography, is suspended. Vega told the Herald that protesters had disassembled or burned portions of the train tracks or placed boulders and trees to block the route.
Panic was beginning to set in after days of being cut off, Vega said.
“The days are starting to go by. You start to see more worry on people’s faces,” he said.
An air evacuation for stranded tourists scheduled for Saturday will now take place on Sunday morning because of weather conditions, according to a document Vega showed the Miami Herald. Tourists with a medical diagnosis will be prioritized, followed by “vulnerable and non-vulnerable tourists.” A wall filled with the names of hundreds of the stranded tourists showed that they came from all over the world, including Malaysia, Turkey, New Zealand, France, Japan, Australia, Uruguay, Germany.
“We all continue to wait for a solution,” he said, adding that there was a list of about 500 people still there who were looking for a way out.
Vega said that his family in Miami is “extremely concerned,” and that he is speaking to his wife and children on a daily basis.
“We do Face Time. We laugh a little bit, cry a little bit,” he said, chuckling.
A spokesperson for Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s office confirmed to the Miami Herald on Friday afternoon that they are aware of at least two cases of Miami travelers stuck in Peru. Both are first responders for the county. Both were in town for vacation.
“We are concerned that Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Capt. Brian Vega and Miami-Dade Police Sgt. Jessenia Muñoz are among the American travelers now struggling to return home from Peru,” said Levine Cava in a statement.
The mayor also said that her office had reached out to the White House to help bring the two stranded county employees, along with other American tourists in the Latin American country, back to the United States. Muñoz is staying in a hotel in Cusco.
Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III asked to “please keep everyone in your prayers.”
“It saddens me to learn of the struggles occurring in Peru and making it difficult for our U.S. citizens to return home. It’s unfortunate that a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue captain and a Miami-Dade Police sergeant are among those struggling to return,” he said in a statement.
And federal lawmakers have also gotten involved in the matter.
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, tweeted on Friday afternoon, saying that his “office is aware of Floridians in Peru and is doing everything we can to get them home safely.” He shared a link for family members of the stranded to reach out to his office.
The State Department’s travel advisory says that travelers should reconsider travel to Peru because of crime and exercise increased caution because of civil unrest.
“Demonstrations occur regularly throughout the country,” the advisory said. “Public demonstrations can take place for a variety of political and economic issues.”
Meanwhile, the American embassy in Lima urged travelers to follow guidance from local authorities and said the country’s portion of the Pan American Highway “may not be entirely secure at this time,” and to use the highway once “the security situation improves.” It also warned travelers to avoid demonstrations and crowds and monitor local media for updates.
But Vega said he and other stranded travelers feel that the local authorities have been keeping them “in the dark.” Now, the firefighter is considering leaving himself. He knows of other tourists who have embarked on a 10-hour hike along the train tracks from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, a village that still preserves its original Incan city planning.
They’ve made it back to Cusco. But there is no guarantee that if Vega reaches Ollantaytambo, there will be transportation out. And it’s uncertain who, or what, travelers like him might find along the way as protesters demand Castillo’s return to power.
In the meantime, Vega hopes to raise awareness about the situation in Peru and the stranded travelers who can’t leave.
“What’s happened in Peru is terrible. I hope that they can resolve the situation so there’s no more deaths, no more injuries,” he said. “And that all U.S. citizens and tourists from other countries can get home safely.”