Buses Shot at Leaving Lima; Drivers Injured Amid Extortion Fears

Two interprovincial buses were targeted in separate shooting attacks on the Panamericana Norte highway on Sunday, July 19, leaving two drivers injured and raising concerns about a new wave of extortion against transport firms. The buses belonged to Cruz del Norte and Cruz del Sur.

The first attack occurred in Puente Piedra when two individuals on a motorcycle intercepted a Cruz del Norte bus and fired at its windshield. The driver sustained facial injuries from flying glass but no passengers were harmed. The bus was en route to Trujillo. Company representatives stated this was their first such incident and they had not received prior threats, but expressed worry for their employees' safety.

Shortly after, a Cruz del Sur bus traveling on the same highway, near the Cementerio stop, was also attacked by motorcyclists. The driver's windshield was destroyed, and he suffered arm injuries from glass shards. He was taken to the hospital and is reported to be in stable condition with minor injuries. Passengers heading to Huaraz were unharmed and transferred to another bus.

Police are investigating the incidents, with a key piece of evidence being an envelope containing a phone number left behind after the attack on the Cruz del Sur bus. This discovery strengthens the hypothesis that the shootings are linked to extortion, a crime that has increasingly affected transportation companies in recent months. Authorities are working to identify the perpetrators and confirm the motive.