The UK government has issued a warning to travellers visiting Peru after the country declared a state of emergency amid a recent crime surge.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel advice for Peru after the Peruvian government declared a 30-day State of Emergency in the regions of Lima, the country’s capital, and Callao.

The emergency comes after weeks of escalating violence blamed on criminal groups, which often target businesses such as transport companies.

The FCDO has told travellers visiting Peru that the country’s army and police are working together and are permitting the restriction of some constitutional rights.

“For example, the police will be able to detain people without a judicial order if they deem it necessary,” the FCDO said.

The state of emergency was announced on Monday after President Dina Boluarte’s government published a decree applying to Lima and neighbouring Callao.

Authorities will restrict some rights, including the freedom of assembly and movement, meaning the police and army can arrest citizens without orders from judges.

National police director Victor Sanabria said there would be an increase in patrols at train and bus stations, while Peru’s military said it would deploy 1,000 soldiers to Lima for patrol.

This comes after Peru has seen a surge in killings, extortion and attacks within public spaces over the past few months, with police reporting 459 killings from the start of the year to 16 March, the Associated Press reports.

There have also been 1,909 extortion reports in January alone.

Over the weekend, Paul Flores, a popular singer, was killed during an attack on his band’s bus on Sunday. The day before, in a separate incident, an object exploded in a restaurant in Lima leaving at least 11 people injured.

President Boluarte’s government previously declared a state of emergency between September and December to try and quell violence.

Separately, the FCDO has a list of places in Peru it advises against all but essential travel. This includes within 20km south of the Peru-Colombia border, namely the Putumayo River and the Loreto region.

However, this does not include the Amazon River or the area of the triple border with Brazil and Colombia from and including the towns of Caballococha in Peru to the actual triple border at Santa Rosa di Yavari town.

The FCDO also advises against all but essential travel to the Valley of the Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro Rivers, also known as the VRAEM region.

“We advise against all but essential travel to these two areas for safety and security reasons,” the FCDO says.

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