The political upheaval in Peru has left two Chicago police officers stranded in the country.
Violent protests have erupted throughout the South American nation, disrupting trade and tourism, WGN-TV reports. A travel advisory has been issued by the U.S. State Department on Thursday, urging Americans not to travel to Peru because of the civil unrest and crime.
The police officers had been on vacation in the country, and they had been planning to return to Chicago on Monday. But those plans changed once they got to the airport, according to John Catanzara, president of Chicago's Fraternal Order of Police.
“They were basically told after waiting there a couple of hours, ‘Get out of here now, the country is not secured, the airport has been taken over, there’s no flights leaving. Get back to your hotel,'" said Catanzara.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Peru, flights in and out of the country have been suspended at four airports. Officials are advising American travelers to keep away from protests, obey police order and shelter in place until it's safe to return home.
