The authorities of Sri Lanka have declared a state of emergency after the flight of President Rajapaksa from the country. This is reported by the media with reference to the office of the Prime Minister.
On the eve it became known that the President of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, left the country amid mass protests caused by the economic crisis. According to media reports, he, accompanied by his wife and bodyguards, boarded an An-32 military aircraft and went to the Maldives.
The president's whereabouts have been unknown since Saturday, after a crowd of protesters broke into his palace.
The reason for the protests was the economic crisis that began in April. Experts call it the largest since 1948, when the country gained independence from Great Britain. Now there is no food, medicine and fuel on the island. According to the UN, four out of five people on the island skip meals due to poverty. Inflation in Sri Lanka reached 54.6%, external debt – $51 billion.
Also in Sri Lanka, there is a depletion of foreign exchange reserves, the country cannot buy fuel, fertilizers, food and medicine. At the end of 2019, the reserves amounted to $7.6 billion, in March 2020 – $1.93 billion, and in April 2022 – $50 million. For the first time in the history of the country, Sri Lanka was unable to pay its external debt.