2016 Dakar Rally: Peru withdraws as host

Lima: Peru said that it is withdrawing as host of the 2016 Dakar Rally due to concerns about the El Nino weather phenomenon, a media report said.

The country`s ministry of foreign trade and tourism issued a statement on Monday, saying the government was cancelling its participation in both the 2015 Desafio Inca (or Dakar Challenge), scheduled for September, and next year`s rally, Xinhua reported


"Due to the impact the El Nino phenomenon may have in different parts of the country, and as a precaution of its possible effects on the population, we have decided to cancel our participation in the automotive events," the ministry said.


According to Peru`s specialised El Nino commission (ENFEN), "a powerful weather event" is expected around the same time as next year`s rally was set to kick off in Peru`s capital Lima on January 3, before racing on to Bolivia and Argentina.