Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled the country amid widespread protests calling for his resignation over his handling of the country’s worst economic crisis since independence in 1948.
According to the BBC, the president, his wife and two bodyguards left the country in a military jet to Male, the capital of the Maldives.
Also, the Sri Lankan Air Force confirmed in a statement on Wednesday July 13, that reads below:
“Under the provisions of the Constitution and on a request by the government, the Sri Lanka Air Force provided a plane early today to fly the president, his wife and two security officials to the Maldives.
“Their passports were stamped and they boarded the special air force flight,’ an immigration official involved in the process said.”
Reports have it that Sri Lanka is declared bankrupt and it is facing its worst economic crisis in over 70 years with inflation rising to record levels, and food prices skyrocketing.
Experts explained that Sri Lanka’s bankruptcy was caused by political mismanagement and racking up debts with China, as the country’s foreign debt amounts to $51 billion. Out of this, it must repay $28 billion by the end of 2027.
Now, Sri Lanka government suspended repayment of its foreign loans due to a foreign currency shortage, adding that they are now relying on aid from India and other nations
