Inherent Risks was contacted by a Private Capital firm to explain that two of their Partners were in Peru to review an acquisition target.
While on site, a nearby mine and its surrounding camp were attacked, and quickly surrounded by ‘armed protestors’ which blocked the exit road, trapping the Partners.
An Inherent Risks' Response Consultant contacted one of the Partners directly via Telegram and confirmed their exact location using what3words.
The Partner provided a quick brief of the situation which was that he could hear shouting, see large groups of men wielding weapons, and he could see big flames. He also explained that their local driver had run away.
Inherent Risks was able to deploy a retained Response Consultant based in the region who was on-scene within 90-minutes.
During that time, we provided specific guidance on what not to do, established a 15-min check-in routine, and informed them of the passphrase our Response Consultant would say on his arrival so they knew he could be trusted.
Both Partners were escorted to safety, partly on foot, at night, to a waiting vehicle, and driven to a hotel.
They were not the targets! But, by deploying to a region, without conducting adequate risk assessments, with no local intelligence, and no crisis management plan in place, they found themselves in a potentially very dangerous situation.
News revealed the following day that several people had been attacked and their entire camp had been burned to the ground in what has been an ongoing dispute between locals and certain mining companies for several months.
Associated and assumed risk(s) are often overlooked and/or dismissed, especially without up to date local intelligence and cultural understanding.