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Hundreds of tourists who were held hostage by an indigenous tribe in Peru’s Loreto province have been released, according to local media outlets.
The group of 248 tourists, which includes American and British citizens, were on a boat near the Loreto district of Urarinas on Thursday when the vessel was detained by members of the indigenous Cuninico community, who reportedly took the group hostage to protest a recent oil spill in a local river.
In a statement Friday morning, Cuninico community leader Watson Trujill announced that the group would be set free by noon. ABC News later confirmed that the group had been released.